A source close to the family said the death cases were due to the leakage of a chemical substance into the room where the four children were staying. The chemical substance came through the central air-conditioning ducts.

The source said the family travelled to Mash’had last Friday to spend vacation. The poisoning occurred 48 hours after their arrival in Mash’had. The children who died are Haidar Ali Qassim, infant Hussein Ali Al-Awwami, Hassan Abulghani Al-Fakhr and a girl Deemah Abdulghani Al-Fakhr. The source confirmed that the father of two of the dead children Abdulghani Al-Fakhr, his wife and son Muhammad are in the Intensive Care Unit.

Meanwhile, Abdullah Al-Hamrani, acting Saudi consul general in Iran, said the consulate is in contact with the Iranian authorities to get the details of the incident. He said the consulate has opened a hot line with the hospital so as to communicate with the relatives of the patients to check on their health.

Meantime, the Iranian security authorities have closed down the hotel temporarily.