Iran: Dozens of schoolgirls taken to hospital after new gas poisonings

Dozens of girls from 26 schools successful Iran are reportedly being treated for poisoning astatine hospitals aft different question of evident toxic state attacks.

More than 1,000 students person been affected since November. They person suffered respiratory problems, nausea, dizziness and fatigue.

Many Iranians fishy the poisonings are a deliberate effort to unit girls' schools to close.

But the authorities has not said whether it believes they are premeditated.

Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi, who has been tasked by the president with uncovering the "root cause" of the poisonings, connected Wednesday dismissed arsenic "false" a study by Fars quality bureau that 3 radical had been arrested.

He besides accused foreign-based and "mercenary groups" of taking vantage of the concern to wage intelligence warfare and interest people.

Some pupils and parents suggested that schoolgirls whitethorn person been targeted for taking portion successful caller anti-government protests.

At slightest 26 schools successful 5 cities crossed Iran were affected by the latest state poisonings, section media and activists said.

BBC Persian verified videos showing ambulances arriving astatine schools and students being treated successful hospitals successful the superior Tehran, the north-western metropolis of Ardabil and the occidental metropolis of Kermanshah.

Another video from the city's eastbound shows girls sitting connected the pavement extracurricular a superior school. A parent is past seen rushing up to the gross and screaming: "Where is my child?" A antheral replies: "They've poisoned the students with gas."

Authorities are nether expanding unit from the nationalist to halt the poisonings, which were initially concentrated successful the Shia Muslim beatified metropolis of Qom, southbound of Tehran.

Research by BBC Persian established that astatine slightest 830 students, mostly schoolgirls, had been poisoned arsenic of Sunday, portion a subordinate of parliament enactment the fig astatine 1,200 successful Qom and the occidental metropolis of Borujerd unsocial arsenic of Tuesday.

Those affected person reported the odor of tangerine oregon rotten food earlier falling ill.

The president of the parliamentary acquisition committee, Alireza Monadi-Sefidan, was quoted by Fars arsenic saying connected Tuesday that an probe had recovered that the toxic state contained nitrogen.

However, the interior curate told reporters connected Wednesday that reports saying a circumstantial chemic substance had been detected were incorrect.

One genitor told the BBC that girls astatine their daughter's schoolhouse successful the Tehran suburb of Pardis were poisoned connected Tuesday.

"My girl and 2 of her friends accidental they heard thing similar an detonation and instantly afterwards an unpleasant odor - thing similar burned integrative filled the air," said the parent, who the BBC is not identifying for information reasons.

"They were asked to permission the people and spell into the yard. Many of the students started collapsing successful the yard. There are kids with asthma and bosom problems successful my daughter's class."

"Ambulances and the constabulary arrived. Kids were fixed beverage by the ambulance staff."

On Sunday, Deputy Health Minister Younes Panahi said it was "evident that immoderate radical wanted each schools, particularly girls' schools, to beryllium closed down", though helium aboriginal said that his remarks had been misunderstood.

Some radical person speculated that the schoolgirls are being targeted arsenic "payback" for their relation successful the wide protests that erupted successful September aft the decease successful custody of, Mahsa Amini, a young pistillate who was detained by morality constabulary for allegedly failing to deterioration her headscarf "properly".

Authorities person portrayed the protests arsenic "riots" and responded with lethal force. Human rights groups person reported that hundreds of protesters person been killed, among them dozens of children.

The pistillate past talks to a young girl, who wonders whether they were "chosen" due to the fact that they had taken portion successful the protests.

Public choler astatine the poisonings and the authorities' effect person prompted caller unrest.

The genitor from Pardis said: "We arrived astatine the school, aggravated and worried. Parents started shouting slogans against [Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei."

"Nobody believes they volition analyse these attacks," they added. "I person nary anticipation successful the system. But I anticipation the satellite volition perceive our dependable and halt supporting these kid killers."

Officials reported that 35 students from their daughter's schoolhouse were taken to infirmary aft the poisoning. But the genitor said the existent fig was overmuch higher.

"From my conversations with parents and the schoolhouse principal, fractional of the students were taken to hospitals. That is astatine slightest 200 students."

One of those children was successful a coma, they said, adding: "Some parents person besides refused to instrumentality their children to infirmary due to the fact that they are acrophobic and don't spot the officials."