Tear gas fired during demonstrations in Tehran accidentally drifted towards a hospital but did not target it deliberately, Iranian media reported late Tuesday.
Security forces in Iran have frequently deployed tear gas to clear protesters during the sometimes-deadly demonstrations triggered by the rising cost of living.
To disperse a crowd, “tear gas was used in the alley adjacent to the Sina Hospital” in the centre of Tehran, the ISNA news agency reported, citing a statement from the Tehran University of Medical Sciences.
The Sina Hospital is affiliated with the university.
“The natural reaction of the protesters is to move (the gas) away from the gathering place. As a result, some of this substance unintentionally drifted towards the hospital,” it said.
It added that the claim that tear gas was deliberately fired into the hospital “does not correspond to the facts.”
Security forces have killed at least 27 protesters including five minors, according to the Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights.
Iranian authorities say members of security forces have also been killed, including a policeman shot dead on Tuesday.
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