Over 100 people have been killed and more than 188 injured in two explosions that occurred simultaneously near the grave of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in the southeastern city of Kerman. The incident took place as people were holding a ceremony to mark the death anniversary of the country's top commander in a US drone attack, reported Iranian state media.
Babak Yektaparast, a spokesperson for Iran's emergency services, pegged the death toll at 73 while the number of those injured stood at 188. "The blasts were caused by terrorist attacks," state media quoted a local official in the Kerman province as saying.
"Huge explosion heard near Saheb al-Zaman Mosque. A second explosion was heard near Saheb al-Zaman Mosque," AFP reported citing local media.
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The semi-official Nournews said, "several gas canisters exploded on the road leading to the cemetery". A local official was quoted by Iranian state media as saying "it is not yet clear whether the explosions were caused by gas cylinders or a terrorist attack".
State TV showed Red Crescent rescuers attending to wounded people at the ceremony, where hundreds of Iranians had gathered to mark the anniversary of Soleimani's death. Some Iranian news agencies said at least 50 people were wounded.
"Our rapid response teams are evacuating the injured... But there are waves of crowds blocking roads," Reza Fallah, head of the Kerman province Red Crescent told state TV.
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Videos aired by Iranian media showed dozens of bodies strewn around with some bystanders trying to attend to survivors and others hurrying to leave the blast area.
"A terrible sound was heard there, despite all the security and safety measures. We are still investigating," Reza Fallah, head of the Kerman Red Crescent Society, told state television.