More than 5,000 Iranian schoolchildren have been affected by a series of poisonings. (Represent)
Teheran:
More than 5,000 Iranian schoolchildren have been affected by a series of poisonings targeting mostly female students since late November, according to a lawmaker investigating the incident.
Mysterious poisonings have enveloped Iran, sparking waves of anger and demands for action by the authorities.
They have also raised international concern and called for the West to conduct an independent investigation, especially as the first cases were reported shortly after the start of the nationwide protests due to the virus. death of 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish Mahsa Amini, after she was arrested for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code. for women.
Multiple schools have been hit, with students experiencing symptoms ranging from shortness of breath to nausea and dizziness after reporting an “unpleasant” smell on school grounds. Some were treated at the hospital.
“25 provinces and about 230 schools have been affected, more than 5,000 girls and boys have been poisoned,” Mohammad-Hassan Asafari, a member of parliament’s fact-finding committee, told ISNA news agency on Thursday. Two.
“Various tests are underway to determine the type and cause of poisonings. To date, there is no specific information on the type of poison used.”
Calling the poisonings an “unforgivable crime”, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered a “merciless” hunt for the perpetrators on Monday.
President Ebrahim Raisi last week tasked the Interior Ministry with providing ongoing updates on the investigation.
“In less than 5% of students referred to the hospital, irritating materials were found that led to their poor health,” the ministry said in its latest update on Monday.
“Fortunately, to date, no toxic or dangerous substances have been found in any of the students referred to the medical center.”
The latest incident – reported by the ISNA news agency – involved 40 schoolchildren, all female, in the volatile southeastern city of Zahedan.
The White House called on Monday for a “credible independent investigation” into the poisonings.
The first cases were reported in the Shiite capital Qom in Iran in late November, a month after the Mahsa Amini protests then spread to universities and schools.
On Tuesday, Tehran’s prosecutor Ali Salehi warned “those who spread rumors and lies” about the poisoning that “they will be dealt with decisively and lawfully”, the private agency’s Mizan Online website said. news law.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from an aggregated feed.)
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