At least four people have been killed and more than 500 injured in the immeasurable explosion at a port in southern Iran’s Shahid Rajaye, state media said.
A spokesman for Iran’s crisis management agency noted inadequate storage conditions for chemicals as a trigger for port explosions. “The explosion was caused by chemicals in the container,” crisis management spokesman Hossain Zafari told Iran’s Irna News Agency. He added that the port administration had previously been warned of the dangers raised by these chemicals.
The Iranian government has yet to specify the exact cause of the explosion, but it suspects that the flammable chemicals are behind the explosion.
The state attorney general had ordered a “full and urgent” investigation into the circumstances of the explosion.
Shahid Rajaee is a large Iranian container facility that processes 80m tonnes of goods per year, including fuel and other flammable materials. This is part of the country’s largest port of Bandar Abbas.
State media previously cited Iranian security officials saying “speculations about the cause of the explosion are worthless.”
The video shows a giant swirling mushroom cloud, with the power of the explosion destroying nearby buildings and shattering windows.
The injured people were lying on the side of the road as authorities declared a state of emergency at the hospital in Bandar Abbas to deal with the influx of injured people.
Air and Navy fire teams have worked to eliminate the explosion, and state media reports that they expect the fire service to be completed within an hour. Local media reported people trapped under the wreckage of a collapsed building.
In the aftermath of the explosion, port activities were halted and Iranian customs officials stopped shipping exports and transport to ports.
The state-owned Iranian national oil refinery and distribution company said that oil refineries, tankers and pipelines in the region remained operating and were not affected by the explosion.
The explosion occurred when Iran and the US met at a third-round nuclear talks held in Oman on Saturday, aiming to achieve a deal on Iran’s nuclear program.
The US and Israel view the prospect of Iran gaining nuclear weapons as an urgent threat.
In 2020, the Shahid Rajaee Container facility was hit by a complex cyberattack that thwarted Port Logistics, the Washington Post. It has been reported For being committed by Israel in retaliation for Iran’s cyber attacks.
Cyberattacks have been one of a series of incidents that have affected Iran’s critical infrastructure in recent years.
The government has condemned several cases of 31 people, including the 2024 Cole Mine explosion in southern Iran. Tehran accused Israel of being behind other incidents, including last year’s attacks on Iran’s gas pipeline.
The Israeli government did not comment on the explosion in Iran on Saturday.
Reuters contributed to this report
