Mysterious poisoning of Iranian schoolchildren, number of victims cross 5,000

Tehran: A series of poisonings since late November 2022 appears to be aimed at female students. A lawmaker investigating the incidents said that over 5,000 schoolchildren have been poisoned so far and most of them are girls.

The latest case was reported in the southeastern city of Zahedan where 40 girls were affected.

Students have been experiencing multiple symptoms ranging from shortness of breath to nausea and vertigo. Unpleasant odours have been reported on the school premises. Some students have accused the authorities of carrying out the attacks.

"In less than five percent of the students transferred to hospital, irritant materials were found which led to their ill-health. Fortunately, so far, no toxic or dangerous substances have been found in any of the students transferred to medical centres," said the interior ministry.

Mohammad-Hassan Asafari, a member of the parliamentary fact-finding committee said that 25 provinces and around 230 schools have been affected. Over 5,000 schoolgirls and boys were poisoned. "Various tests are being carried out to identify the type and cause of the poisonings. So far, no specific information has been obtained regarding the type of poison used," reported the ISNA news agency.

The widespread incidents of poisonings have triggered outrage in the state and Western nations have called for an independent investigation. The first cases were reported after protests over hijab and dress code started across the nation after the custodial death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the poisonings an "unforgivable crime" and on Monday gave orders to track down perpetrators.