Crew of Iranian cargo ship poisoned, 3 seamen die -- report

Ambassador claims the vessel was carrying cereals from Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan; no specification of what the toxic substance was or whether foul play suspected

Iran’s official IRNA news agency said Friday that three seamen have died from an unspecified toxic substance that poisoned all 11 crew members of an Iranian cargo ship on the Caspian Sea.

According to the report, the crew of the vessel, Nazmehr, was transferred to a hospital in Baku, Azerbaijan. Three seamen died before they reached the hospital and the eight others remain hospitalized in a toxicology clinic.

Iran’s ambassador to Azerbaijan, Javad Jahangirzadeh, said the ship was carrying cereals from Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan and was in the central area of the Caspian Sea when the incident occurred.

IRNA says the case is under investigation.

There were no indications as to what the deadly substance was and IRNA did not say whether foul play was suspected.