Tehran--Iran on Wednesday offered condolences to the families of four Saudis who died from an apparent accidental chemical poisoning during a pilgrimage in Iran, after Riyadh summoned Tehran's ambassador over the incident.
Thirty-six Saudis on a pilgrimage to the Shiite holy city of Mashhad were hospitalised Sunday morning, suffering from nausea and dizziness, Abdullah Bahrami, the director of the Imam Reza hospital, was quoted as saying by official news agency IRNA.
Four, three children and a teenager, died in the hospital after inhaling toxic gas at the hotel in Mashhad, Iranian media reported.
Saudi officials on Tuesday called for Iranian authorities to "quickly carry out investigation procedures" into the incident.
"Iranians are well-known for their hospitality and we hope this issue is resolved," said Marzieh Afkham, Iran's foreign ministry spokeswoman, expressing sympathy and condolences.
A senior Iranian official Wednesday said the incident had no "political or international" links.
AFP
