The deputy well being minister stated on Monday that an “irritating substance” was used within the faculty gasoline assault and claimed that “lower than 10%” of scholars had been affected.
“Our analysis reveals that maybe lower than 10 p.c of youngsters [reportedly poisoned] In truth, he was beneath the affect of irritating substances,” Dr. Saeed Karimi, head of the ministry’s therapy division, informed the semi-official Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) on Monday night time.
Attacks continued on Monday at not less than 120 faculties in 25 of Iran’s 31 provinces. The variety of poison assaults reported throughout the nation has elevated considerably over the previous few days.
Dr. Karimi stated the ministry’s investigation was carried out by a committee of consultants in pulmonology, toxicology, microbiology, infectious illnesses, psychology and environmental well being, and examined poisoning studies from every state and a few victims. He stated he did.
He stated the “irritating substance” affected the scholars 10 to fifteen minutes after smelling the smoke with numerous odors, inflicting victims to expertise a burning sensation of their throats, coughing, shortness of breath, tears and subsequent abdomen cramps. It is alleged that , the particular person turns into torpid and, in some circumstances, loses motion of the limbs.
However, Dr Karimi denied that what he known as “irritants” had been “harmful, weapons-grade or lethal”, however they could possibly be “in stable, paste, powder or liquid type on radiators and so forth. “There is a chance that they had been thrown right into a warmth supply.” ” earlier than spreading into the air as smoke.
“These irritants usually are not essentially one sort that you may identify. These are substances which might be usually available,” he stated. “Irritating substances normally haven’t any long-term results. [their effects are] and isn’t meant for use to trigger everlasting injury [to victims’ health],” He stated.
But some medical consultants, akin to Dr. Mohammadreza Hashemian, an worker of Tehran’s Mashi Daneshvari Hospital, the place lots of the victims have been handled, consider that the gasoline suspected of getting used was in a variety of inaccessible areas. He stated it seemed to be composed of chemical compounds. Ordinary individuals.
Artwork created to boost consciousness about chemical assaults on feminine college students
The deputy well being minister additionally claimed that in about 90% of circumstances, signs had been attributable to stress and nervousness resulting from different college students falling in poor health, or media protection of poisoning incidents.
An assault on a boys’ highschool in Karaj has additionally been reported inside the previous 24 hours. Isfahan Boys’ Preparatory School and Shopping arcade in Ahvaz, southwest Iran At least 700 college students had been taken to hospitals. About 10 customers had been additionally taken to hospital on Sunday night after reportedly experiencing signs much like these of the gasoline poisoning victims.
According to social media studiessome victims had nosebleeds, however no additional particulars of the incident had been reported.
The public is Very suspicious of the administration’s personal involvement. A journalist was arrested in Qom on Monday, apparently to analyze doable hyperlinks between the perpetrator and hard-line teams loyal to the clerical regime. Iranian sources stated police and plainclothes personnel on the scene of the assault strictly prohibited anybody from taking footage, presumably to stop the perpetrators from being recognized.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Monday addressed the problem for the primary time because the first assault occurred within the non secular metropolis of Qom on November 30. “If there are literally individuals, people, or organizations concerned on this, it is a severe crime that can not be neglected,” he stated, including that the culprits might be punished to the fullest for his or her crimes. He added that the punishment must be given.
Some social media customers stated they feared that Khamenei’s accusations of assault would have penalties. unfairly accuse the rebels And harmless people could also be punished to cowl up the doable position of extremist non secular teams in denying women entry to training past major faculty.
Rebel teams inside Iran known as for nationwide protests on Tuesday and Wednesday.