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Mosque fire kills 59, hurts 250 in Tehran

TEHRAN, Iran - A fire raged through a crowded mosque in Tehran during evening prayers Monday after a female worshiper's veil caught the flames of a kerosene heater, killing at least 59 people, and injuring more than 250, Iran's official news agency reported.

The Arg Mosque was filled with about 400 worshipers, more crowded than usual because this is the Islamic month of Muharram, a holy period for Shiite Muslims, and heaters were being used as Iran has been suffering from unusually severe winter weather.

Panicked people raced for the doors and smashed windows to escape the blaze, leaving burned shoes and women's black chadors scattered in the mosque yard. The mosque walls were charred, carpets were burned and religious books, including the Koran, were destroyed.

Women, who pray on the second floor of the mosque, separated from the men, had to race down stairs and through a narrow doorway to exit. Many stumbled and were trampled in the frenzied stampede to escape.

Hospital records checked by the Associated Press showed that 40 of those killed and the majority of the injured were women.

Tehran's police chief, Brig. Gen. Morteza Talaie, was quoted by the Islamic Republic News Agency as saying 59 people were confirmed killed. More than 250 people were injured in the fire, according to rescue workers.

The fire started when the veil of a female worshiper caught the flames of a kerosene heater on the upper floor of the mosque and the flames spread to a thick green cloth that covered the ceiling and walls of the mosque in commemoration of the holy month, IRNA reported. It also said officials had discounted the possibility of a bomb or arson attack.

"The main cause of the fatal incident is ignoring the basic safety rules, including installation of a kerosene heater very close to a thick curtain," Talaie was quoted as saying.

The wounded were taken to six hospitals in the capital and police were guarding the doors to limit the entrance of relatives desperate for news of their loved ones.

The tragedy came during a period of mourning for Shiites, when they recall the seventh century death of Hussein, grandson of the prophet Mohammed.

[Last modified February 15, 2005, 01:17:05]