A powerful explosion occurred in a southern Iranian port city, resulting in one death and 14 injuries. Initial reports suggest the cause was a gas leak.
On Saturday, 31 Jan 2026 GMT+7, local Iranian officials reported a powerful explosion in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, Iran, causing at least one death and 14 injuries. The exact cause of the blast remains unclear.
Iranian government media reported the explosion took place in an eight-story building, damaging at least two floors. Cars and shops on Muallem Street were also damaged. Rescue teams and firefighters responded to assist victims and clear debris to help those possibly trapped under the rubble.
Footage from government television showed the building's facade collapsed from the blast, exposing its interior, with debris scattered widely. Other Iranian media outlets reported similarly without specifying the cause.
Following online rumors that the explosion might have been an attack, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement denying any attack on naval forces' buildings in the city as reported.
Later, Mohammad Amin Liagat, head of the local fire department, told government television that the explosion resulted from a gas leak. “The preliminary cause of the accident at the building in Bandar Abbas is a gas leak and accumulation leading to the blast. This is the initial assumption,” he said.
On the same day, another explosion occurred in the Kianshahr district of Ahvaz city in Khuzestan province, southwestern Iran, killing four people. Authorities initially believe this was also caused by a gas explosion.
These explosions happened amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United States, related to Iran's heavy crackdown on nationwide protests, its nuclear program, and US President Donald Trump's announcement last week of sending an aircraft carrier strike group toward Iran.
Previously, Bandar Abbas experienced a major explosion in April 2025 that killed dozens and injured over 1,000. The investigation then attributed the blast to violations of civil defense and safety protocols.
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Source:cna