BANDAR ABBAS, Iran: One person was killed and 14 others injured in an explosion at an eight-storey building in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas on Saturday, Iranian media reported.
Local fire chief Mohammad Amin Lyaghat said that the explosion was the result of a gas leak.
“The initial cause of the building accident in Bandar Abbas was a gas leak and buildup, leading to an explosion. This is the initial theory,” Mohammad Amin Lyaghat said, in comments broadcast on state television.
Iran’s state television reported that the explosion occurred on Moallem Boulevard, destroying two floors of the building, damaging several vehicles, and affecting nearby shops.
Rescue and firefighting teams were deployed to the site to assist the injured and contain any fire risks.
Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, Director General of Crisis Management in Hormozgan province, told the official IRNA news agency that the cause of the explosion was under investigation.
Director General of Crisis Management of Hormozgan Province said: This incident involved an explosion at a residential house on Moallem Boulevard in Bandar Abbas.https://t.co/wYurukt2y5 pic.twitter.com/rpojgJOY0W
— Tehran Times (@TehranTimes79) January 31, 2026
“Those injured in the incident are being transferred to hospital by emergency responders,” he said.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency, dismissed social media reports suggesting that the blast targeted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy commander Ali Reza Tangsiri as “completely false.”
Two Israeli officials, cited by Reuters news agency, said that Israel was not involved in the explosion.
Damage and eyewitness accounts
Images broadcast by state TV showed the building’s front blown out, exposing parts of the interior and scattering debris across the street.
Other Iranian media outlets reported similar destruction, while no further details on the cause have been released.
The explosion comes amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington.
The United States recently deployed an aircraft carrier group to the region following President Donald Trump’s threats of military action against Iran.
