An explosion at an oil refinery in Iran killed two people during a visit to the site by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was not injured, officials said.
Twelve people were injured in the blast but it did not harm anyone in Ahmadinejad's entourage, the Chinese news agency Xinhua reported Tuesday.
The injured were taken to a hospital in Ahvaz, the agency said.
Xinhua said the explosion was apparently caused by a gas leak at the refinery. After the blast, poisonous gas emissions and thick smoke filled the air, forcing people to leave the area.
Ahmadinejad had arrived at the Abadan refinery in southwest Iran to inaugurate the first phase of a gasoline production unit at the plant, Mehr News reported.
After the explosion, Ahmadinejad delivered a scheduled address on live television. He ordered that those seriously injured be sent to Tehran for medical care.