DAMMAM — Family members of those killed following the use of unlicensed insecticide in a hotel in Mash'had, Iran, have demanded that stringent action be taken against the hotel staff and a thorough probe be launched into the conspiracy hatched against Saudi visitors. Iran's Minister of Health Hassan Hashemi did not rule out the possibility of foul play in the incident. Five people were arrested and the hotel has been closed for an indefinite period for forensic inquiry. The families have thanked the Saudi consulate general in the city for its prompt action. Four Saudi children died in the incident and 33 Saudis were injured. They had gone to Iran for vacation. According to consulate sources, the condition of the injured is improving and seven of those who were in serious condition in the intensive care unit have improved and have been moved from the ICU. Among the injured, 14 are adults and 19 children. Zaki Ali Fateel, cousin of the mother of the deceased children Deema and Hasan, 13 and three years of age respectively, talking to Saudi Gazette, said that the condition of his cousin, Nida Fateel, who was in ICU, has improved and she has been moved out of the unit. “I am worried about her. I don't know how will she take the pain of the death of her two young children,” he said about his cousin. Zaki said that Deema and Hasan were extremely pleasant children. “Deema wanted to pursue a professional career after her education,” he said. He thanked acting Consul General Abdullah Hamrani, who worked tirelessly for the injured and dealt vigorously with Iranian authorities demanding that they probe the case and punish the culprits. Zaki said as per information received from relatives in Iran, all legal formalities have been completed, thanks to the special attention of the Saudi consulate. A relative of the injured Awatif Al-Mousa said that two children from her family Qassim Al-Khabaz, 6, and Hasan Al-Khabaz ,8, started vomiting in the night at the hotel. They were immediately rushed to the hospital. She said the condition of the two is now improving. The Saudi consulate has hired a lawyer to support the prosecution in punishing the culprits and getting compensation for the victims. The consulate general in Mash'had held a meeting on Monday with the lawyer to look into the mechanism of the case and determine a plan of action. It has been learned that Iranian Foreign Ministry officials are constantly in touch with the Saudi consulate. An Iranian Foreign Ministry official Morteza Rahmani visited the hospital and inquired about the condition of the injured and offered condolences to the bereaved families on behalf of Iranian President Hassan Ruhani. Ali Mozaffari, the Khorasan province prosector, officially announced the arrest of the hotel manager and four employees.
