Death toll after Iranian military base explosion rises to 18

Death toll after Iranian military base explosion rises to 18

2010-10-13 18:46:11 GMT+7 (ICT)

TEHRAN, IRAN (BNO NEWS) -- At least 18 Iranian soldiers were killed and 14 injured after an accidental explosion blasted a military training base in the western part of the country, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said Wednesday.

The explosion happened Tuesday morning in the Imam Ali military base - an IRGC base - located outside the provincial capital city of Khorramabad, Luristan. The fire began to spread to a munitions depot at the corps's Imam Ali base resulting in the death and injury of a several of its personnel.

"In yesterday's explosion at one of IRGC's bases in Lurestan, 18 people lost their lives and 14 others were injured," said Lurestan province IRGC Deputy Commander Yadollah Bouali, as quoted by Fars news agency.

The injured soldiers were transported to local hospitals, and while some suffered more serious wounds, others were briefly examined and released promptly.

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