'Astronauts' hand out free masks in N China

（People's Daily Online） 14:47, February 01, 2013

Men dressed as astronaut hand out free masks on a street in Taiyuan of Shanxi Province- one of China’s coal mine hubs-on Jan 31, 2013 (Photo/CNS)

The recent smog across China has affected more than 800 million people, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The Ministry of Environmental Protection said in a report issued on Wednesday that the recent smog has spread across the northern, central and eastern parts of the country.

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