Iranian authorities are investigating a large explosion just east of the capital, Tehran, near a military base thought to have played a role in the country’s past nuclear testing programme early on Friday.
Videos and pictures posted on social media that were picked up by local news outlets showed a bright light flaring out across the night sky over the city, followed by a large plume of smoke. Witnesses said the blast came from the direction of Parchin, a major military site.
Windows had been shattered near the military base and trees for 100 metres around two nearby villages, Changi and Hammamak, had been burned, the New York Times reported.
The semi-official Isna news agency reported two people were missing after “an ordinary fire” caused by “chemical reactions of flammable material” at an industrial gas tank on the outskirts of a military defence site. It reported it had no connection to military installations in the region.
The defence ministry was quoted by Manoto news as saying a gas tank exploded in a public area in Parchin but had nothing to do with military base housed there.
Parchin is home to a sprawling military base where Iranian technicians were alleged to have tested high explosive components for a nuclear warhead in the early 200s.
In comments broadcast on state TV, a defence ministry spokesman said the incident happened close to Parchin but that no military installations had been affected. The fire had been put out and no casualties had been reported, he added, but gave no details about the cause of the blast.
Farnaz Fassihi (@farnazfassihi)First video report of a massive explosion with red light around Tehran, heard by many residents. Reports of a military outpost around there. #Iran pic.twitter.com/lQT4CPFLUC
June 25, 2020
In 2014, the military site was suspected to have been damaged by a fire or explosion but investigations by the International Atomic Energy Agency were hampered by a lack of access.
This is a developing news story, please check back for updates.
source https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/26/iran-authorities-investigate-large-explosion-near-tehran
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