Poisoning of 15 People in Hoveyzeh Following Contamination of Municipal Water

In the continuation of the water crisis in southern Iranian cities, a health official in Ahvaz reported the poisoning of 15 people in Hoveyzeh as a result of consuming contaminated water.

The Iranian news agency IRNA reported on Sunday, July 15, citing Shokraollah Salamanzadeh, deputy health officer at Jundishapur University of Ahvaz, that these individuals were poisoned due to contamination in the water supply network and were transferred to medical centers.

Meanwhile, the governor of Hoveyzeh told the Tasnim news agency that with the summer heat and the water crisis, the possibility of this incident recurring is neither unexpected nor improbable.

In another report on this matter, the director of water and wastewater for rural Hoveyzeh said: over the past 10 days, the Karun River in Hoveyzeh has dried up and water supply to five thousand rural residents has been jeopardized.

Hoveyzeh city in Khuzestan Province is located west of Ahvaz and has a population of approximately 35,000.

In recent weeks, it was also reported that due to drinking water contamination in Ramhormoz, another city in Khuzestan Province, approximately 350 people were admitted to hospitals.

Local officials in Yazd city had also reported a shortage of drinking water in the city. In addition, severe salinity of water in Khorramshahr and Abadan and water cuts in these cities led to widespread street protests in these cities.

The water crisis in Iran has intensified following severe droughts in recent years, excessive use of underground water resources, and mismanagement of water resources.

Source: Voice of America