Iranian sailors poisoned on ship sailing for Baku

A severe case of onboard poisoning has caused the Nazmehr, an Iranian cargo ship sailing from Aktau to Baku, to request emergency assistance from the Azerbaijani Border Guard Service.

Three crew members died while the rest of the afflicted were hospitalised. Doctors say that their condition is stable. The sailors were visited in hospital by employees of the consular department of the Iranian Embassy in Azerbaijan.

According to the Azerbaijani press, the poisoning was caused by a chemical used to treat wheat stores kept on board. However, an employee from the Iranian embassy said they were abstaining from drawing any conclusions until an investigation has been completed.