Ilam University: In the early hours of Saturday, May 31, a gas leak at a girls’ dormitory at Ilam University resulted in the poisoning of 17 female students. The leak reportedly originated from the building’s boiler room.
Emergency services received the first distress calls around 5 a.m., when students began reporting symptoms consistent with gas poisoning, including headaches, nausea, and dizziness.
Five students were transferred to nearby hospitals for further medical attention, while 12 others were treated on-site for mild symptoms.
Preliminary investigations by safety experts identified the dormitory’s boiler room as the source of the leak.
A Broader Safety Crisis in Iran’s Dormitories
This incident is just the latest in a series of troubling safety failures at student dormitories across Iran. Safety regulations—particularly concerning heating systems and gas infrastructure—are often poorly enforced or entirely ignored. The lack of proper oversight and continued neglect of safety protocols places thousands of students at daily risk.
While universities and educational institutions are meant to provide a safe environment for students’ intellectual and physical development, funding allocated for improving dormitory infrastructure is often either insufficient or redirected to other priorities, such as supporting regional proxy groups or advancing missile and nuclear programs.
