3 killed, 2 injured in fire on methanol barge in S. Iran

TEHRAN, June 11 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed, and two others injured in an explosion followed by a fire aboard a methanol barge moored off a wharf in Iran's southern Bushehr province, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Wednesday.

The incident occurred at 11:05 a.m. local time (0735 GMT) in Deyr County, Fars quoted Ehsan Izadpanah, managing director of the provincial Red Crescent Society, as saying.

Deyr County's Governor Alireza Sajjadi said the explosion occurred during welding operations on the barge, which led to the eruption of the fire. Rescue, firefighting and emergency medical teams were dispatched to the scene immediately, he added.

Hassan Mousavi, head of the province's emergency medical services, confirmed that the methanol tank involved in the explosion belonged to the Kaveh petrochemical complex, located in the port city of Bandar-e Dayyer.

He noted that given the scale of the incident, the death toll and number of the injured could increase. ■