Iranian minister confirms schoolgirls’ poisoning

Iranian Health Minister Bahram Eynollahi has confirmed that several incidents in which schoolgirls suffered intoxication had occurred through the use of "poison".

"All the research that we have conducted so far indicates that a kind of mild 'poison' caused the intoxication," he said while addressing a conference of senior health officials, Tasnim News Agency reported on February 28.

"The contamination that has been reported was very mild and did not cause any side effects for anyone. Those affected only suffered a few hours of weakness and lethargy," he added.

He said a special committee had been created with some of the "best toxicologists" in Iran, which had identified that a "mild" poison was used.

"Regarding how the 'poison' has been produced and whether it was premeditated or not is not something that is within the remit of the Health Ministry", he said.

The poisoning incidents affecting students and involving an unknown toxic gas started in the conservative province of Qom in late November, and have now spread to the western province of Lorestan.