Explosion in Iran's Bandar Abbas caused by gas leak, says fire chief
A gas leak caused an explosion on Saturday at a building in the Iranian city of Bandar Abbas, killing one, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported, citing the local fire department chief.
State television said the blast injured 14 people and "destroyed 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.
Images carried by state TV showed the building's facade blown out, exposing parts of its interior, with debris scattered around.
The port of Bandar Abbas lies on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway between Iran and Oman.
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The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) denied online rumours that any of its naval buildings in the province had been hit, according to a statement carried by the Fars news agency.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency said allegations that an IRGC navy commander was targeted in the explosion were "completely false".
Separately, in southwestern Iran, a family of four was killed in a gas explosion that also took place on Saturday in the Kianshahr neighbourhood of Ahvaz city, near Iran's border with Iraq.
The explosion came at a tense moment for Iran after the United States deployed an aircraft carrier group to the region following threats from President Donald Trump.
Two Israeli officials told Reuters that Israel was not involved in Saturday's blasts.
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