A large blast has ruptured a natural gas pipeline in central Iran, the Mehr News Agency has reported, citing local officials. Evaluation teams have been dispatched to survey the damage.
The explosion erupted in the early hours of Wednesday near the city of Borujen, some 64km (39 miles) south of the provincial capital of Shahr-e Kord, according to Mehr, which cited the city administration and fire officials.
”The terrible sound and then the fire was caused by the explosion of the main gas transmission line of the country (line 65) between Halvai pass and Beldaji highway, and fortunately, until this moment, no one was injured or injured. There were no casualties,” Ismail Yazdani, the commander of Borujen’s fire department and security services, was quoted as saying.
Footage circulating on social media purports to show the aftermath of the blast, with a bright fireball and tower of smoke rising into the sky.