The death toll has risen to 73, with over 170 injured, following two devastating explosions in Kerman, the hometown of the late Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. The blasts occurred on the fourth anniversary of Soleimani’s death, according to state media Tasnim news agency.
According to the Tasnim, The first blast happened at 15:04 local time as people were packed on a road leading to a cemetery where the tomb of General Soleimani is located. The second blast occurred 13 minutes later, causing widespread damage and panic among the residents. Emergency services were quickly overwhelmed, with hospitals struggling to cope with the influx of casualties.
Who is General Soleimani?
Qassem Soleimani was an Iranian major general and commander of the Quds Force, a wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responsible for IRGC foreign operations. He was killed in a U.S. drone strike near the Baghdad International Airport in Iraq on January 3, 2020. He was considered the second most powerful person in Iran, subordinate to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. His death sparked a series of events that escalated the tensions between Iran and the U.S. in the region.
Last year, on the third anniversary of his death, Iran’s president vowed vengeance and said that the U.S. would pay a “heavy price” for the assassination.
The Iranian government has declared a state of emergency in Kerman and is coordinating a national response to the disaster. International aid agencies are also mobilizing to provide assistance.
(With inputs from Tasnim)
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