At least 11 killed in gas blast at Iran wedding party
A gas cylinder used for heating the wedding hall exploded in Iran's Kurdistan province, in a tragic accident that killed mainly children.
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Footage of the burned-out wedding hall circulated on social media [Twitter]
At least 11 people were killed and dozens injured after a gas canister exploded at a wedding party in Iran's northwestern province of Kurdistan on Thursday, the country's semi-official Mehr news agency reported.
"At least 11 people were killed and unfortunately five children were among them when the gas explosion occurred at a wedding hall at night at Saqqez city," it said, adding that at least 34 people were injured while trying to flee.
Most of the victims were children, deputy Kurdistan governor Hossein Khosh Iqbal said.
A state of emergency was declared in all the health centres near Saqqez, he added.
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Rescue teams and ambulances were helping victims at the scene, Mehr reported.
Footage circulating on social media showed the building ablaze following the blast, while others posted tributes to children that had been killed.
The Kurdistan governor announced a day of public mourning on Friday following the tragedy.
The wedding has been postponed until further notice, according to local reports.
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