Tehran (Daily Pakistan Online) A group of 1,200 university students in Iran fell victim to poisoning on the occasion of anti-government protests held across the country. Students from Khwarazmi and Arak universities, as well as four other institutions, threw their provided food onto surrounding streets in protest, with the country’s national student union accusing authorities of deliberately poisoning people. Officials have attributed the outbreak to water-borne bacteria.
In a statement, the union said ‘our past experiences of similar incidents at Isfahan University negate the cause of this mass food poisoning given by the authorities.’
Clinics at several affected universities have stopped or cut off supplies to treat dehydration and other related symptoms of food poisoning, Arab News reported, citing the Daily Telegraph, in a sign that the outbreak is a national one. There may be a deliberate strategy to thwart the protest movement.
The incident comes as a three-day nationwide strike is set to begin on Wednesday, fueling public pressure against the government. Meanwhile, Iranian officials have denied reports that the country’s government Will abolish the moral police.
