Staff at several hospitals in Iran reported being overwhelmed with dead or injured protesters as the country grappled with the aftermath of anti-government protests. The medics described "very horrible scenes" and said they were struggling to cope with the influx of wounded people.
The number of protesters killed or injured was estimated to be in the hundreds, with many more detained. The authorities asked families of dead individuals for large sums of money to allow them to be buried, highlighting the scale of the crisis.
A medic at a hospital in Tehran said that emergency services were overwhelmed and staff did not have time to perform CPR on patients who had been shot. The medic described direct shots to the heads of young people as well as gunshot wounds from live ammunition and pellets.
In other parts of the country, hospitals were also struggling to cope with the number of injured protesters. A doctor in a city in central Iran said that many of those injured had been hit in the eyes, while another doctor reported receiving large numbers of wounded people during Friday's unrest.
The Iranian government has blamed the US for turning peaceful protests into violent acts and has called on security forces to take decisive action against "armed vandals". However, EU leaders have condemned the use of force and urged protesters' right to freedom of expression and assembly.
The number of protesters killed or injured was estimated to be in the hundreds, with many more detained. The authorities asked families of dead individuals for large sums of money to allow them to be buried, highlighting the scale of the crisis.
A medic at a hospital in Tehran said that emergency services were overwhelmed and staff did not have time to perform CPR on patients who had been shot. The medic described direct shots to the heads of young people as well as gunshot wounds from live ammunition and pellets.
In other parts of the country, hospitals were also struggling to cope with the number of injured protesters. A doctor in a city in central Iran said that many of those injured had been hit in the eyes, while another doctor reported receiving large numbers of wounded people during Friday's unrest.
The Iranian government has blamed the US for turning peaceful protests into violent acts and has called on security forces to take decisive action against "armed vandals". However, EU leaders have condemned the use of force and urged protesters' right to freedom of expression and assembly.