The first cases of poisoning appeared in November. Girls about ten years old are said to have been poisoned through the respiratory tract. Several girls had to be hospitalized for a short time.
After an investigation, Youness Panahi, a deputy health minister, indicated that there was malicious intent. “It has become apparent that some individuals want all schools, especially girls’ schools, to be closed,” said Panahi. The poisoning is said to be chemical in nature. The chemicals used would not be of a military nature, not infectious and not transferable, the deputy minister said.
More poisonings were reported at school last week. Since the first reports from Qom, more than 1,000 students have fallen victim, the British broadcaster BBC wrote on Thursday. They suffered from dizziness and shortness of breath. Many girls ended up in hospital. Schoolgirls were also poisoned in several provinces over the weekend. According to an official count, poisoning cases have already been reported in at least 52 institutions, the French news agency AFP reported on Sunday.