Another Explosion Reported in Iran: Blast at Steel Mill

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At least seven people were killed in an explosion at an Iranian steel mill on Monday, the third explosion in Iran in roughly a month. According to the Iranian Fars News Agency, a gas leak is being blamed for the blast, although there were also claims that it was caused by discarded ammunition that had been taken to the mill with scrap metal. An article from Israel’s Ynet by Ron Ben-Yishai openly speculated the steel mill may have been used to make a special type of steel for the Iranian nuclear or missile program.

Fars said an investigation has begun into the incident, which took place at a privately-owned steel factory in the city of Yazd. Fars quoted the governor of the central Yazd region as saying that several foreign nationals were killed in the explosion.

The latest incident follows reports last month of a blast that damaged the Iranian missile program and killed an important official, as well as another explosion in the same region as an Iranian nuclear facility that was later denied to have even happened.

(By Staff, www.themideastupdate.com, December 13, 2011)