Explosion in Iran’s Bandar Abbas caused by gas leak, official says

Local fire official says gas leak likely caused blast that ripped through residential building in Iranian port city.Published On 31 Jan 2026An explosion that rocked a residential building in the Iranian port city Bandar Abbas was likely caused by a gas leak, the local head of the fire department told Iranian media.The Bandar Abbas fire chief said residents were evacuated from the building in the city’s Moallem Boulevard area, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported on Saturday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Confusion grows over state of US-Iran negotiationslist 2 of 3Iran says ready for ‘fair’ talks with US but not ‘under shadow of threats’list 3 of 3Iran’s president says Trump, Netanyahu, EU stirred tensions during protestsend of list“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,” fire chief Mohammad Amin Lyaghat said in comments broadcast on state television later.The exact number of casualties was also not immediately clear.Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, the head of crisis management in Hormozgan Province, where Bandar Abbas is located, was quoted by the IRNA News Agency as saying wounded people were being transferred to hospital, without reporting any deaths.The Reuters news agency reported that a local official told Iranian news agencies that at least one person was killed and 14 others wounded. Al Jazeera could not independently verify that information.State television said the explosion occurred at an eight-storey building, “destroying two floors, several vehicles, and shops” in the area.Images carried by Press TV showed the building’s facade blown out, exposing parts of its interior, with debris scattered around.The explosion took place amid soaring tensions between Iran and the United States and fears of a military confrontation between the two countries.US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to attack Iran over a recent crackdown on antigovernment protests and Washington’s push to curtail the Iranian nuclear programme.