25 Fatalities, Fires Persist Following Major Explosion: On Sunday, fires continued to burn after a significant explosion occurred at Iran’s largest commercial port the previous day, resulting in the deaths of at least 25 individuals and injuring hundreds, as reported by local media.
The explosion took place on Saturday at Shahid Rajaee Port in southern Iran, located near the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route through which approximately 20% of the world’s oil supply is transported.
According to a statement from the port’s customs office, broadcasted by state television, it is believed that the explosion was triggered by a fire that ignited at a depot for hazardous and chemical materials. A regional emergency official noted that multiple containers had detonated.
The Iranian news agency Tasnim, referencing the chief of the provincial judiciary, updated the death toll on Sunday to 25. State television reported that around 800 individuals sustained injuries.
The blast was so intense that it was felt and heard up to 50 kilometers (about 30 miles) away, as per Fars news agency’s report.
During a visit to the site on Sunday, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni stated that “the situation has stabilized in the main areas” of the port. He indicated to state television that operations such as container loading and customs clearance had resumed.
Photographs from news agency IRNA on Saturday depicted rescuers and survivors navigating a broad avenue littered with debris after the explosion at Shahid Rajaee, which is situated over 1,000 kilometers south of Tehran.
Flames were visible consuming a truck trailer, and blood marked the side of a mangled vehicle, while a helicopter fought the extensive clouds of black smoke rising from behind stacked shipping containers by dumping water on them.
Tasnim news agency reported that “the shockwave was so powerful that most of the port buildings sustained severe damage.”
Mourning Period
According to local emergency services, state television announced that hundreds of injured individuals “have been transported to nearby medical facilities,” prompting the provincial blood transfusion center to call for donations.
As Saturday marks the beginning of the workweek in Iran, the port was likely busy with employees at the time of the incident.
Three Chinese nationals were reported to have sustained “minor injuries,” according to China’s state broadcaster CCTV, which cited its consulate in Bandar Abbas.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed condolences to the victims of the tragic explosion and stated he had “ordered an investigation into the circumstances and causes.”
With thick smoke and air pollution affecting the region, all schools and offices in Bandar Abbas, the capital of Hormozgan province, have been closed on Sunday to allow emergency services to focus on the response efforts, as reported by state television.
The health ministry has advised residents to refrain from outdoor activities “until further notice” and to wear protective masks.
Authorities have declared a three-day period of public mourning across the province.
In a statement relayed by local media, the state-owned National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company indicated that the explosion “has no connection” to its operations, reporting no disruption to its activities in Bandar Abbas.
This incident occurred while Iranian and U.S. delegations were engaged in high-level discussions in Oman regarding Tehran’s nuclear program, with both parties noting advancements in the talks.
