More Iranian schoolgirls targeted in mystery poisonings

Iranian schoolgirls have again been targeted in poisoning attacks, media reports said Sunday, in a wave of such incidents that has sparked fear among parents and calls for authorities to act.

For more than three months, hundreds of female pupils have reported suffering symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea and vertigo after detecting "unpleasant" or "unknown" odours.

"A very bad smell suddenly spread, I got dizzy and I fell to the ground," one schoolgirl recounted on a television programme.

The poisoning cases, which have led to some girls being hospitalised, have been at the centre of national discussion, with Deputy Health Minister Younes Panahi saying last week that the suspected attacks were aimed at shutting down education for girls.

The cases come more than five months after the start of protests, labelled riots by authorities, sparked by the death of Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini, 22, following her arrest for allegedly breaching Iran's strict dress code for women.

Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi reported on Saturday evening the discovery of "suspicious samples" during official "field research" at affected sites, without providing further details.

Most of the poisoning cases since late November have been reported in the shrine city of Qom, south of the capital Tehran, with at least 52 schools targeted nationwide according to a new tally.

Recent poisonings have also affected students in the western city of Abhar and in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, Isna news agency said, quoting local health officials.

Primary school girls were also targeted in the western city of Zanjan, Isna added, and more case were reported in the holy city of Mashhad in the northeast, Isfahan in the centre and Shiraz in the south, the Mehr and Ilna news agencies reported.

'Fear and despair' 

Another student, named Parastou and hailing from the western city of Borujerd, told the Ham Mihan newspaper that she "felt nausea and intense pain in the chest" while her "legs were numb" after one such suspected attack.

An emergency doctor at a hospital in the city said that "most of the students suffered symptoms such as headaches, respiratory problems, lethargy, nausea and hypotension".

The mystery surrounding the poisonings has sparked concern from UN bodies abroad and triggered a wave of anger across the country, with demands for action from the authorities.

In a report aired by the state broadcaster, the mother of one affected student asked authorities to place a guard at the main school gates and to activate the surveillance cameras installed in the premises.

Education Minister Yousef Nouri apologised on Sunday on state TV for the incidents, declaring that "we fully understand the parents' concerns and are following up the issue seriously".

During a meeting with Nouri in Qom, the Grand Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli called on officials to "solve the problem as quickly as possible... to reassure the nation".

"It is frightening to note that the origin of the poisoning of students has not yet been determined," he said.

President Ebrahim Raisi said Friday he had asked the ministers of intelligence and the interior to follow up on what he labelled "the enemy's conspiracy to create fear and despair" among the people.

Deputy Interior Minister Majid Mirahmadi said the "plotters of the poisoning of girls" were seeking "to close the schools", speaking in an interview by the Fars news agency.

Mirahmadi argued that most of the affected students had suffered complications due to "anxiety and stress" and charged that those responsible were trying to spark more protests in the Islamic republic.