Oman: two die after drinking contaminated water from Iran

Two people have died in Oman after drinking water from a contaminated batch that was imported by Iran, as reported by The National on September 1st.

The incident arose in the Wilayat of Suwaiq, on 29th September, when the Royal Oman Police reported that an expat woman died after drinking the water. An Omani man also passed away on October 1st after having been in hospital in critical condition for two days.

Relatives of the Omani family have also been poisoned, but were reported to have recovered according to the police force.

Upon further investigation, the poisoning that occurred in Suwaiq was traced back to a contaminated batch of bottled water. The bottled water belonged to an Iranian brand called Uranus Star that had been imported from Iran to Oman.

The police force liaised with authorities, collecting samples of water and conducting lab tests which confirmed contamination to be present in the Uranus Star water.

Omani authorities have responded to the contamination incident with a mass recall on Uranus Star products being sold in local markets and stores, as investigations proceed. Royal Oman Police also issued a warning to citizens informing them not to drink Iranian Uranus Star water.

Ultimately, it is unknown whether Iran exporting contaminated water to Oman was just an act of simple negligence or not and how this could alter relations between both parties. The incident could make Oman reconsider the reliability of its regional partnerships and perhaps reduce its foreign dependence. Oman has invested in recent allyships with countries such as Algeria and Morocco which could ultimately shift the status of its global partnerships.