The number of poisoning cases at several girls’ schools in Iran has risen to several hundred in recent weeks, and the government has indicated that “suspicious samples” have been discovered during investigations.
According to the Isna news agency, citing official health authorities, cases of poisoning of female students were reported in secondary schools in the cities of Abhar (West), Ahvaz (South-West) and also at the primary school in Zanjan (West).
There were also cases of poisoning in schools in the cities of Mashhad (Northeast), Shiraz (South) and Isfahan (Centre).
Poisoning cases now exceed “several hundred,” with 52 schools affected, according to the latest official balance.
In a statement released on Saturday, the interior minister said “suspicious samples” had been discovered during the investigation, without providing further details.
“Enemy Conspiracy”
On Friday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi called on the interior ministries and the secret service to “unravel the enemy’s conspiracy to instill fear and despair in the population,” without specifying.
The Iranian government has also launched an investigation into the origin of the poisoning, but no arrests have been announced at this stage.
The reported attacks come at a sensitive time in Iran, which has faced months of protests following the death of young Mahsa Amini following her arrest in September by the country’s vice squad.
Authorities have yet to identify the suspects, but recent attacks have raised fears that other girls may have been poisoned just for attending school.
The first cases appeared at the end of November in Qom, about 125 kilometers southwest of the Iranian capital Tehran. Students at Noor Yazdanshahr Conservatory fell ill in November and fell ill again in December.
Students complained of headaches, palpitations, lethargy and paralysis. Some students described a smell of tangerines, chlorine or detergents.
It is winter in Iran, where temperatures often drop below freezing at night. Many of the schools are heated with natural gas, leading to speculation that the poisonings could be due to carbon monoxide.
The schools affected were only for young women, raising suspicions that the cases were not accidental. At least one case occurred in Tehran, with others in Qom and Boroujerd. At least one boys’ school was also targeted.
Source: DN
