The death toll from a significant explosion at Iran’s largest commercial port has tragically escalated to 28, as reported by Pirhossein Koolivand, the chief of the Red Crescent. This information comes as an update to earlier figures disseminated by state media.
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“Unfortunately, 28 people have so far died,” Koolivand stated in a video shared on the Iranian government’s official website. He further noted that over 1,000 individuals were injured in the incident at Shahid Rajaee Port, which occurred yesterday, and that many have since been transported to the capital, Tehran, for medical treatment.
Shahid Rajaee Port, located in southern Iran, is strategically positioned near the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passageway through which approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil output traverses.
Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni conveyed through Telegram that the explosion had initially resulted in “18 dead and 750 injured,” highlighting the rapid developments in this unfolding situation.
Although the exact cause of the blast remains uncertain, the port’s customs office suggested, in a statement broadcasted by state television, that it likely originated from a fire at a storage depot for hazardous and chemical materials. “The intensity of the fire in Shahid Rajaee Port has increased, and it is possible that the fire could spread to other areas and containers,” state media reported late yesterday.
Complicating efforts to control the flames, strong winds were reported in the area, according to a broadcaster’s correspondent.
Situated more than 1,000 km south of Tehran, Shahid Rajaee is regarded as Iran’s most advanced container port, according to the official IRNA news agency. Eyewitness images from IRNA depicted rescuers and survivors navigating a boulevard littered with debris following the explosion.
Nearby, flames engulfed a truck trailer, with blood stains marking the side of a damaged vehicle, while a helicopter worked tirelessly to douse the towering smoke clouds emanating from behind stacks of shipping containers.
Based on local emergency service reports, state television indicated that “hundreds have been transferred to nearby medical centres,” prompting the provincial blood transfusion center to issue an urgent call for donations.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed heartfelt sympathy for the victims of this horrific blast, stating, “I have issued an order to investigate the situation and the causes.” He confirmed that Minister Momeni would head to the area to assess the incident further.
While addressing state media later at the scene, Momeni remarked, “All resources from other cities and Tehran have been dispatched… and we hope to extinguish the fire in the coming hours.” In a gripping video shared on social platforms, a bystander lamented, “my truck was completely destroyed and my friend died.”
Notably, Saturday marks the beginning of the workweek in Iran, implying that the port was likely bustling with activity. Reports indicate that three Chinese nationals sustained minor injuries, according to CCTV, which cited the Bandar Abbas consulate.
As Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, the head of the province’s crisis management authority, noted to state television, “the cause of this incident was the explosion of several containers stored in the Shahid Rajaee Port wharf area.” The explosion’s force was so powerful that it reverberated and was felt as far as 50 km away, according to Fars news agency, while Tasnim news agency reported that “the shockwave was so strong that most of the port buildings were severely damaged.”
In a show of international solidarity, the United Arab Emirates extended their support to Iran following the explosion, and Saudi Arabia also sent condolences.
In a statement relayed by local media, the state-owned National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company confirmed that the explosion “has no connection to refineries, fuel tanks, distribution complexes, or oil pipelines.” They assured that “Bandar Abbas oil facilities are currently operating without interruption.”
This incident follows one of Iran’s deadliest work accidents in recent memory—a coal mine explosion in September due to a gas leak, which claimed over 50 lives in Tabas, in eastern Iran. Remarkably, this explosion also coincided with ongoing high-level talks in Oman between Iranian and American delegations regarding Iran’s nuclear program, with both sides reporting progress.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring.
