Mysterious fire torches Iran chemical factory

After several explosions, firefighters in Qom stopped the blaze from reaching alcohol tanks.

By Associated Press

A chemical factory near the central city of Qom caught fire Sunday, Iranian media reported, a blaze that injured at least two firefighters.

Videos showed heavy black smoke rising from Movaledan chemical factory in the vicinity of Qom, one of Iran’s prominent religious cities.

The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.

Twenty fire engines and 150 firefighters were dispatched to the site, the semiofficial ISNA news agency quoted Qom fire department spokesman Hamid Karimi as saying.

Karimi said the firefighters managed to stop the fire from reaching alcohol tanks, although there have been several explosions and two fire engines have caught fire.

Two firefighters have also been injured, with one in critical condition, ISNA said.