Reuters: Around five people died on Wednesday in an explosion at an Iranian petrochemical plant, Iranian media reported.
TEHRAN Aug 4 (Reuters) – Around five people died on Wednesday in an explosion at an Iranian petrochemical plant, Iranian media reported.
“Due to the explosion at the Pardis petrochemical plant some five people died and two others were injured,” Iranian state television’s website said.
It quoted a senior manager of the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone as saying the explosion occurred at 14.30 local time leading to a fire that was swiftly extinguished by fire-fighters.
Semi-official Mehr news agency said the second phase of the Pardis petrochemical complex, which produces urea and ammonia, was inaugurated last week in the presence of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Sanctions from the United Nations Security Council, the United States and the European Union that aim at putting further pressure on Tehran over its nuclear programme have strained Iran’s economy, which is heavily dependent on oil and gas revenues.
Iran is the world’s fifth-largest oil producer and also sits on the world’s second largest natural gas reserves. (Reporting by Ramin Mostafavi, Writing by Andrew Hammond; Editing by Sue Thomas)
