Blast in Iran gas pipeline not sabotage, under control: state TV

By Parisa Hafezi

ANKARA (Reuters) – At least one person was killed and three others injured in an Iranian gas pipeline explosion early on Saturday near the town of Gonaveh in the southern province of Bushehr, a local official told state news agency IRNA.

Governor of Gonaveh Ali Paknejad told IRNA that “rescue teams have been dispatched to the area and the cause of the explosion is under investigation.”

“One was killed and three others were injured,” he added.

“The fire is being contained and there is no danger of another blast,” IRNA quoted Paknejad as saying.

A local official told state TV that it was not an act of sabotage and “nearby villages have been evacuated as a safety measure.”

A third official said a crisis management headquarter had been set up in Gonaveh.

“The pipeline has been disconnected from the system … the fire will be fully … under control as soon as the gas inside the pipeline is evacuated,” the semi-official Fars news agency quoted the unnamed official as saying.

(Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Sandra Maler and Diane Craft)