Iran's defence ministry says defect in military system caused blast in northern city UPDATE/PHOTO

A malfunction in a military system was the cause of a blast heard in the northern Iranian city of Gorgan, a spokesperson from Iran's Defence Ministry said on September 18.

"In the process of testing defence and drone systems in a desert region, one of these systems suffered a technical defect and deviated from its main path," the spokesperson said, adding debris fell in and around the city of Gorgan, Reuters reports.

It was not immediately clear if the spokesperson was referring to a missile.

An official from the Golestan province's governorate had earlier said the fallen object was a drone and added two civilians were injured in the incident.

Iranian news media have shared footage of a burnt object lying in a street, with nearby shops having their windows smashed and cars sustaining damage.

Other videos showed loud bangs followed by debris falling in other parts of the city of Gorgan.

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An Iranian projectile that veered off course during a military test fell Monday in the north of the country, wounding two people, officials and local media said.

The incident took place when Iran’s military was conducting tests for its drone and attack systems in a desert region before the projectile experienced a technical problem, Al Arabiya reports.

The projectile “disintegrated and its parts fell on the city of Gorgan,” the provincial capital of the northern Golestan province, defence ministry spokesman Reza Talaei-Nik said.

“Two people were wounded,” ISNA news agency reported, quoting provincial official Ali Mohajer.

Local media shared footage showing the cordoned-off area where the debris had fallen, with some shops in the vicinity having sustained heavy damage.

In Gorgan, which has a population of about 350,000 people, residents said they heard a loud noise when parts of the debris hit one of the city’s main streets.

Iran, which has for years been under crippling US and Western sanctions, has developed a vast domestic arms industry, with a large arsenal of missiles and drones.