Iranian media reported Tuesday evening that an explosion from a gas leak in a medical clinic in northern Tehran had killed at least 19 people and injured several others.
The ensuing fire broke out at Sina Athar Medical Center in Iran’s capital and state TV said firefighters battled and extinguished the blaze.
Tehran fire department spokesman Jalal Maleki told the semi-official ISNA news agency that after initially reporting 13 deaths, firefighters had recovered six more who died after the blaze was extinguished around two hours later, raising the toll to 19.
Fifteen of the dead were women, state television said.
Online videos appeared to show explosions at the site as thick black smoke rose from the flames.
Online videos appeared to show explosions at the site as thick black smoke rose from the flames.
In a TV interview, Maleki said the explosion occurred as gas canisters caught fire in the clinic’s basement.
Some of the victims “were in upper floors in operation rooms, who were either patients being operated on or those with them,” he said. “They unfortunately lost their lives due to the heat and thick smoke.”
Hamidreza Goudarzi, deputy Tehran governor, told state TV a gas leak in the building was the cause of the incident.
People in nearby Tajrish Bazaar rushed to the site, making a rescue operation difficult, authorities said. A nearby hospital went on alert to receive additional injured people if necessary.
At last 10 ambulances were deployed to the site and a nearby hospital went on alert to receive additional injured if necessary. Police blocked off all roads to the site.