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Tehran clinic hit by deadly explosion | Tehran clinic hit by deadly explosion |
(about 5 hours later) | |
At least 19 people have been killed in an explosion at a clinic in Iran's capital Tehran, officials say. | At least 19 people have been killed in an explosion at a clinic in Iran's capital Tehran, officials say. |
Several people were injured at the Sina Athar clinic, and there are fears the death toll will rise further. | Several people were injured at the Sina Athar clinic, and there are fears the death toll will rise further. |
Iran's state media quoted senior officials as saying the blast was caused by a gas leak. | Iran's state media quoted senior officials as saying the blast was caused by a gas leak. |
Television pictures showed plumes of smoke billowing in the sky. Firefighters extinguished the blaze several hours later. | |
Most of the victims of Tuesday's blast were women, according to the authorities. | |
Some of the victims "were in upper floors, in operation rooms - who were either patients being operated on or those with them", Tehran fire department spokesman Jalal Maleki was quoted as saying by state media. | |
"They unfortunately lost their lives due to the heat and thick smoke," he said, adding that firefighters had rescued 20 people. | |
The clinic, which carries out light surgeries and medical imaging, had 25 employees inside at the time of the explosion, Mr Maleki said. | |
The incident comes several days after a big explosion near a military facility rocked Tehran. | The incident comes several days after a big explosion near a military facility rocked Tehran. |
The cause of that incident was also said by the authorities to have been a gas leak. | The cause of that incident was also said by the authorities to have been a gas leak. |