China, India account for half world's pollution deaths in 2015 - study

People wear face masks as they cross a street on a polluted day in Beijing, China January 4, 2017. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China and India accounted for more than half of the total number of global deaths attributable to air pollution in 2015, a study published on Tuesday said.

Research by the U.S.-based Health Effects Institute (HEI) showed that air pollution caused more than 4.2 million early deaths worldwide in 2015, making it the fifth highest cause of death, with around 2.2 million deaths in China and India alone.