Tehran, Mar 13 (IANS): At least seven persons were killed and five others injured after three residential buildings collapsed on Sunday following an explosion in Iran's Tabriz city, the media reported.
The explosion took place at around 3 a.m. (local time) in a two-story building, Xinhua news agency reported.
"The impact of the blast completely levelled the building and two nearby ones," Mohammad-Baqer Honarbar, director general of East Azarbaijan province's Crisis Management Organisation was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
He added that the explosion also caused damage to many nearby buildings, shattering windows.
The authorities were conducting an investigation into the cause of the explosion, Fars news agency reported, adding that two of the injured have been hospitalised.
One person was pulled out alive from rubble. The rescue operation was underway, IRNA reported.