A bomb blast near a medical center in Iran has killed at least 19 people

01 July 2020, 12:02 p.m. Online version

Photo: Collected

A bomb blast near a medical center north of the Iranian capital, Tehran, has killed at least 19 people. 6 people were injured.

The blast took place at the clinic named Sina Athar on Tuesday local time.

Iran's state news agency Fars confirmed the deaths of 13 people, citing government officials. Press TV later confirmed the deaths of 19 people. The BBC also reported 19 deaths.

Tehran's deputy governor, Hamid Reza, told state television that the Tehran blasts had nothing to do with sabotage. It's just an accident. He claimed that the explosion was caused by a gas leak.

The country's deputy health minister, Iraj Harichi, said 10 of the 19 people killed in the blast were women.

Multiple videos were posted on social media after the blast. A video shows multiple explosions at the medical clinic in northern Tehran. The people there are begging for help.

In a video, members of the fire service continue to climb the roof of a building with a large ladder after an explosion at the medical center in northern Tehran.

The bomber struck shortly after noon in front of a military base in Tehran. However, no casualties were reported.

According to Arab News, the blast shook homes in Tehran and shattered windows. Local private TV channels did not show much footage of the scene. They just showed several exploding cylinders on the street. He did not say why the blast occurred.