An explosion at a gas station in Yemen's central province of Al-Bayda on Saturday killed at least 10 people and left more than 65 others wounded, a local government official told the Xinhua news agency.
The official, who requested anonymity, told the news agency that "the blast occurred at a gas filling station in Zaher district, setting off a chain reaction that engulfed two adjacent gas stations and nearby commercial warehouses in flames."
At the time of the explosion, the station was crowded with customers. Shocking footage shared across social media showed the massive blast, followed by scenes of chaos as injured civilians fled the burning gas station complex.
The official told Xinhua that the cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
It is unclear if the explosion has any connection to the recent tensions in Yemen involving the Houthi rebels, who have upped their attacks in the region since the start of the war in Gaza last October, having launched drones towards Israel and targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea region.
In the wake of the uptick in Houthi attacks, the US formed a coalition, made up of more than 20 countries, aimed at safeguarding commercial traffic in the Red Sea from attacks by the Houthis.
The coalition has repeatedly targeted Houthi facilities and weapons systems in Yemen, but the Houthis have been unfazed by the strikes.
Israel has struck Houthi targets in Yemen as well, in retaliation for the rebels’ missile fire on Israel. On Friday, IAF fighter jets struck military targets belonging to the Houthis the western coast and inland Yemen.
The targets that were struck include military infrastructure sites in the Hizaz power station, which serves as a central source of energy for the Houthi terrorist regime in its military activities.
In addition, the IDF struck military infrastructure in the Al Hudaydah, and Ras Isa ports on the western coast. The targets struck are examples of the Houthis’ exploitation of civilian infrastructure for its terrorist activities.