Fire broke out at a mosque in central Tehran during Monday evening prayers, killing at least 35 worshippers and wounding more than 200 others, state television reported.
The fire at the Ark Mosque was sparked by an electrical malfunction, according to the report. The dead included 20 men and 15 women, the television report added. The mosque is used for memorial service of dignitaries from the government.
IRNA reported that a long sheet of cloth segregating men from women caught fire and spread quickly throughout the mosque.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze after about an hour, the TV report said, and the injured were taken to nearby hospitals, where some were listed in critical condition.
