Blast at Tehran Clinic Kills 19, Says State-Run News Agency

Blast at Tehran Clinic Kills 19, Says State-Run News Agency
A firefighter helps an injured woman at the site of an explosion at a medical clinic in the north of the Iranian capital Tehran, Iran, on June 30, 2020. Tasnim News Agency/Handout via Reuters
Reuters
Updated:

Nineteen people were killed and six injured on June 30 in an explosion at a medical clinic in the north of the Iranian capital Tehran, the official IRIB news agency reported, quoting state officials.

A gas leak caused the blast, Tehran Deputy Governor Hamid Reza Goudarzi told state television.

A damaged room of a medical clinic is seen at the site of an explosion in the north of the Iranian capital Tehran, Iran, on June 30, 2020. (Tasnim News Agency/Handout via Reuters)
A damaged room of a medical clinic is seen at the site of an explosion in the north of the Iranian capital Tehran, Iran, on June 30, 2020. Tasnim News Agency/Handout via Reuters

A video posted on social media appeared to show multiple explosions at the north Tehran site and another showed firefighters using a ladder to reach the roof of the building.

Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos.

A damaged room of a medical clinic is seen at the site of an explosion in the north of the Iranian capital Tehran, Iran, on June 30, 2020. (Tasnim News Agency/Handout via Reuters)
A damaged room of a medical clinic is seen at the site of an explosion in the north of the Iranian capital Tehran, Iran, on June 30, 2020. Tasnim News Agency/Handout via Reuters

A fire touched off by the blast has been extinguished, Jalal Maleki, the Tehran Fire Department spokesman, said on state TV.

A burnt room of a medical clinic is seen at the site of an explosion in the north of the Iranian capital Tehran, Iran, on June 30, 2020. (Tasnim News Agency/Handout via Reuters)
A burnt room of a medical clinic is seen at the site of an explosion in the north of the Iranian capital Tehran, Iran, on June 30, 2020. Tasnim News Agency/Handout via Reuters

The clinic, which had 25 employees inside at the time of the blast, primarily carries out light surgeries and medical imaging, Harirchi said.

Last week, an explosion occurred close to a sensitive military site near Tehran which the defense ministry said was caused by a leaking tank at a gas storage facility. No deaths or injuries were reported.

By Babak Dehghanpisheh and Parisa Hafezi