TEHRAN – An Iranian official says Saudi pilgrims who had been hospitalized in Mashhad due to poisoning have been released.

Deputy Interior Minister for Security Affairs Hossein Zolfaqari, speaking with Alalam on Monday, said 22 out of the 23 patients have already left the hospital.

Four Saudi pilgrims died and 23 were hospitalized last week after they were poisoned while staying in a hotel in the religious city of Mashhad, Khorasan province.

Local authorities said investigations had indicated a “banned” poison which the hotel service used as pesticide was responsible for the tragic incident.

According to Zolfaqari, the substance used as pesticide had been aluminum phosphide.

He stressed that there had been no ill intention behind the incident and that Iran has taken every measure to clarify the case.

Zolfaqari said the Saudi charge d’affaires in Iran had visited the patients and given full reports on how they were being treated.

Iran is going to send a full clinical and judicial report to Saudi Arabia, he pointed out.

SP/P