Reports: Blast at gas pipeline in Turkey

ISTANBUL, Turkey – An explosion ignited a fire on a natural gas pipeline near the Turkey-
Iran border, Turkish news reports said Friday, but there were conflicting reports from the two countries about where the blast happened.

Turkey’s state-run Anatolia news agency reported that the explosion occurred late Thursday night in the Iranian border city of Bazargan, citing the district head of the eastern Turkish city of Dogubayazit, Rauf Ulusoy.

The private Dogan news agency cited Turkish truckers as saying they could hear ambulances and fire engines going to the blast site, said to be about half a mile east of the Gurbulak border crossing on the Iranian side.

Iranian media, however, said the explosion was in Turkey. “Fire has broken out in a natural gas pipeline in Turkey, near the Iranian border,” Iranian state-run television said.

AP