At least one person was killed and three others injured in an Iranian gas pipeline explosion early on Saturday near the town of Genaveh in the southern province of Bushehr, governor of Genaveh Ali Paknejad told IRNA.
He added that the rescue teams have been dispatched to the area and the cause of the explosion is under investigation.
A local official told state TV that it was not an act of sabotage and "nearby villages have been evacuated as a safety measure."
"The pipeline has been disconnected from the system ... the fire will be fully ... under control as soon as the gas inside the pipeline is evacuated," the semi-official Fars news agency quoted the unnamed official as saying.