Blast at Iran mosque leaves nine dead and hundreds wounded
Sunday, 13 Apr 2008 08:43
At least nine people were killed and 160 wounded in the blast in Shiraz
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At least nine people have been killed and 160 wounded in an explosion at a mosque in the city of Shiraz, southern Iran.
Local authorities are reportedly investigating whether the blast was caused by a home-made bomb.
However, the official Islamic Republic News Agency provided conflicting reports on the cause of the explosion and quoted the city's governor as dismissing the suggestions a bomb was involved.
"Initial surveys about the cause of the blast have proved there has been no bomb involved in the incident and, therefore, there [are] other probable causes," the governor reportedly said.
A local police chief claimed that "negligence" involving old war munitions at the site may in fact have caused the explosion.
"The incident could have happened as a result of negligence. A while ago at this site there was an exhibition commemorating the [1980-1988] Iran-Iraq war," Commander Ali Moayeri told the Fars news agency.
"The munitions left at the site could have been the reason for this explosion," he added.
The blast occurred around 21:00 local time (17:30 BST) on Saturday. 