Kiev's air most polluted in the world after Chernobyl fires

Fires around the defunct Chernobyl nuclear plant and elsewhere pushed pollution levels in Ukraine's capital Kiev to the worst in the world on Friday.

Emer McCarthy reports.

The air in the Ukrainian capital Kiev is now the most polluted in the world, after wildfires raged near the destroyed Chernobyl nuclear plant this month.

Swiss monitor IQAir put the city of 3.7 million people ahead of Hangzhou, Chongqing, and Shanghai.

Though the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 sent clouds of nuclear material across Europe, Ukraine's health ministry said there was no new radiation risk from the fires and subsequent pollution.

But it added that the smog can cause headaches, coughs, and difficulty breathing amongst other health issues.

Police said a huge fire was started by arsonists in the forests around Chernobyl earlier this month.

It was put out this week, but new blazes broke out on Thursday evening fanned by heavy winds.

On Frida (April 17), the state emergency service said there were no fires burning across the Chernobyl station area or in neighbouring regions.