Scene of the June 30th explosion near Tehran
Scene of the June 30th explosion near TehranREUTERS

An explosion in a factory south of Tehran killed two people and injured three late Monday night.

Monday night’s explosion is the latest in a string of explosions and fires hitting facilities in the Tehran district.

The regional governor of the Kahrizak district told Radio Free Europe Tuesday that the explosion, which took place in the city of Baqershahr, was an accident, resulting from negligence in maintaining oxygen tanks.

But the large number of alleged “accidents” in Iranian facilities has raised speculation the incidents may be the result of a covert effort targeting Iran’s nuclear program, or retaliatory efforts by Israel, after Iran targeted Israel’s water system.

Last week, a building at the Natanz nuclear facility was rocked by an explosion. Days earlier, on June 30th, 19 people were killed in an explosion at a medical facility in Tehran. Four days before that, an explosion was reported near the military facility in Parchin – where Iran is suspected of working on its nuclear program.

Over the weekend, a transformer exploded at power plant in Ahvaz, sparking a fire. Shortly thereafter, a chlorine gas leak was reported at a chemical factory near Ahvaz. Seventy people were reportedly injured.