Iranian state media reported that an explosion occurred in a building in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas on Saturday, January 31st, resulting in at least one death and 14 injuries.
The local fire department chief stated that the explosion was caused by a gas leak.
Videos circulating on social media clearly show debris at the explosion site and damaged vehicles.
“The initial assessment indicates that the explosion was caused by a natural gas leak and accumulation. My colleagues will provide more details in the coming hours,” said Mohammad Amin Liaqat, the head of the fire department, in a video released by Iran’s Mehr news agency.
According to the Fars News Agency, a video released on Saturday showed that the explosion destroyed the bottom four floors of a nine-story building in Bandar Abbas.
The agency reported that a 4-year-old girl died in the explosion, and 14 others were injured.
Emergency rescue teams have reportedly arrived at the scene.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency in Iran stated that reports circulating on social media alleging that an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy commander was the target of the explosion are “completely false.”
Quoting the city’s fire department chief, the agency mentioned that all residents of the building have been evacuated.
Iranian media have mentioned that the explosion incident is under investigation but did not provide further details.
Two Israeli officials informed Reuters that Israel was not involved in the explosion that occurred on Saturday. The explosion comes at a time of heightened tensions between the Iranian regime and the United States, amidst Iran’s nuclear program and nationwide protest crackdown.
This is not the first time an explosion has occurred in Bandar Abbas. In April last year, the largest port in Iran experienced a severe explosion that resulted in at least 70 deaths and over 1,200 injuries.