One killed, 14 hurt in blast in Iran's Bandar Abbas; gas leak identified by fire chief as cause

TEHRAN: At least one person was killed and 14 injured in an explosion in the southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas on Saturday (Jan 31), a local official told Iranian news agencies. 

State television said the explosion occurred at an eight-storey building, "destroying two floors, several vehicles, and shops" in the area of Moallem Boulevard in the city.

Rescue and firefighting teams were on site to provide assistance, it added.

The explosion was the result of a gas leak, said local fire chief Mohammad Amin Lyaghat in comments broadcast on state television. 

"The initial cause of the building accident in Bandar Abbas was a gas leak and buildup, leading to an explosion. This is the initial theory," he said. 

The official IRNA news agency earlier quoted the director general of crisis management in Hormozgan province, Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, as saying the cause of the explosion was under investigation.

Images carried by state TV showed the building's facade blown out, exposing parts of its interior, with debris scattered around.

Other Iranian media carried similar reports, also without providing details on the cause.

After rumours circulated online, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps denied that any of the buildings belonging to its naval forces in the province had been targeted, according to a statement carried by the Fars news agency.

Separately, in the southwestern Khuzestan province, four people were killed in a gas explosion that also took place on Saturday in the Kianshahr neighbourhood of Ahvaz city.

Crews had begun clearing the debris from that blast to rescue those trapped under the rubble, state television reported.

Two Israeli officials told Reuters that Israel was not involved in Saturday's blasts, which came amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington over Iran's crackdown on nationwide protests and over the country's nuclear programme.

The explosions also came after the US deployed an aircraft carrier group to the region following bellicose rhetoric from President Donald Trump.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

United States President Donald Trump said on Jan 22 that an "armada" was heading towards Iran. 

Multiple sources said on Friday that Trump was weighing options against Iran that include targeted strikes on security forces.

Earlier on Saturday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused US, Israeli and European leaders of exploiting Iran's economic problems, inciting unrest and providing people with the means to "tear the nation apart”.

Bandar Abbas, home to Iran's most important container port, lies on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway between Iran and Oman that handles about one-fifth of the world's seaborne oil.

The port suffered a major explosion last April that killed dozens and injured over 1,000 people. 

An investigative committee at the time blamed the blast on shortcomings in adherence to principles of civil defence and security.

Iran has been rocked by nationwide protests that erupted in December over economic hardship and have posed one of the toughest challenges to the country's clerical rulers.

At least 5,000 people were killed in the protests, including 500 members of the security forces, an Iranian official told Reuters.