Saudi Pilgrims' Death Case to Come to Court Soon: Iranian Prosecutor
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The case of death of four Saudi Arabian pilgrims in a hotel in Iran's northeastern city of Mashhad will come to court in the near future, the city's prosecutor general announced.
Speaking to Tasnim on Saturday, Gholam Ali Sadeqi said defendants in the case are free on bail, adding that the case will soon come to court after forensic experts ascertained that the victims had died of inhaling toxic gas from insecticide pellets in the hotel.
Four pilgrims, coming from Saudi Arabia's Dammam, lost their lives in a hotel in Mashhad on June 7.
Police said the victims, including three infants and a 12-year-old, had died of "acute toxicity" brought on by phosphine gas from insecticide pellets in an upper story in the hotel building, where the pilgrims were staying.
The toxic gas poisoned 37 people and took 4 lives.
Phosphine gas is generated when aluminum phosphide, a highly toxic inorganic compound, is exposed to any source of moisture.
Following the incident, Saudi daily Al Watan reported that Riyadh has claimed compensation for the deaths.
According to the report, the Saudi consulate in Mashhad hired a lawyer for the pilgrims, seeking some 100,000 Saudi riyals compensation for each of the victims.
