Gas blast injures seven in Iranian city of Qom

Seven people were injured in an explosion at a residential building in the Iranian city of Qom, Iranian state media reported on July 14. Officials said the blast was likely caused by a gas leak, dismissing any links to terrorism.

The explosion occurred in the Pardisan neighbourhood and damaged four residential units, according to the city’s fire department, Caliber.Az reports, citing Reuters.

“Initial assessments show that the cause of the incident was a gas leak, and follow-ups are continuing in this regard,” the director of Qom's fire department told the semi-official Fars news agency.

Qom Governor Akbar Behnamjoo ruled out any foul play, saying: “The cause of the explosion in a residential building of Pardisan was not terrorism.”

The incident comes in the wake of a tense period following a 12-day air war last month between Iran and Israel, during which Israeli and US forces struck Iran's nuclear facilities.

Despite a recent string of gas explosions across the country, authorities have not attributed any of them to Israeli action.

By Sabina Mammadli