On Friday morning, a thick layer of smog enveloped the entirety of Ho Chi Minh City, leading to reduced visibility and subdued sunlight.
As the day progressed, the smog intensified across all districts of the city, shrouding high-rise buildings in a dense haze.
Landmark 81, the tallest building in the southern metropolis, became nearly invisible to observers on the Binh Trieu Bridge, spanning the Saigon River and linking Binh Thanh District with Thu Duc City, an administrative district within Ho Chi Minh City. The Bitexco Financial Tower, which held the title of the tallest building in Vietnam until January 2011, was barely discernible.
Experts clarified that this smog, a combination of fog, smoke particles, and dust, poses a significant threat to public health.
Data from the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment revealed that the concentration of airborne particulate matter, such as PM10, ranged between 60 and 167 micrograms per cubic nanometer in the city by the end of the previous year, exceeding the permissible limit of 100 micrograms per cubic nanometer.
The concentration of PM2.5 ranged between 23 and 72 micrograms per cubic nanometer, also surpassing the limit of 50 micrograms per cubic nanometer.