Hundreds of people in northern Iran were stricken in an apparent case of mass poisoning, which reportedly took place during Iran’s recent presidential election.

According to a report by the India-based Etemaad Daily published on Monday, at least 400 people were poisoned in Iran’s northern Gilan province during the first round of voting in the presidential election on June 28th, which was called to replace President Ebrahim Raisi after his death in a helicopter crash on May 19th.

The poisoning was reportedly the result of the local water supply being contaminated by sewage water in Rezvanshahr county.

At least 130 locals were hospitalized for nausea, headaches, and stomach pains on June 28th, though the number of patients treated for poisoning symptoms rose to 400 over the next two days.

While the head of Gilan Medical University attributed the illnesses to contamination of the drinking water supply, Etemaad Daily claimed that authorities denied that the water supply had been contaminated and attempted to censor the story.

“There was no connection between the poisoning,” said the Gilan Water and Wastewater Department, “and the consumption of water from the distribution network.”

On Gilan resident rejected the department’s claims, however, insisting in an interview Etemaad Daily with that water contamination was the cause.

“My family and I visited the hospital twice with symptoms of stomach pain, diarrhoea, weakness, and loss of appetite. The cause of the poisoning is drinking water, but we don’t know why the main cause is not being announced.”

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