Iran Revises Death Toll In Base Blast To 17

A spokesman for Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has revised down to 17 the number of people killed in an explosion at a military base near Tehran.

Ramezan Sharif told the semi-official Fars news agency that a previous death toll of 27 had been given in error. He said at least 15 people were injured.

The explosion ocurred at an ammunition depot on the base in Bid Ganeh, near the town of Malard on the western outskirts of Tehran.

All the casualties were said to be IRGC members.

At least 16 people were also reported wounded in the blast.

There were no reports linking the blast to any air strike or other attack, and authorities were said to be treating the blast as an accident.

On October 12, 2010, a similar blast at an IRGC munitions store in Khoramabad in western Iran killed and wounded several servicemen.

compiled from agency reports