A catastrophic explosion in the southern Iranian city of Bandar Abbas has resulted in a raging fire that firefighters have yet to contain. The death toll has been steadily rising, with the latest reports confirming at least 25 fatalities and more than 800 individuals injured.
This information was reported by Iran's state television on Sunday, April 27, citing the BBC.
The powerful explosion took place on Saturday, April 26, at the Shahid Rajaei Port, located approximately 1,000 kilometres south of Tehran, near the strategic port city of Bandar Abbas.
Hussein Jafari, a spokesperson for Iran's crisis management organisation, has pointed to the inadequate storage conditions for chemicals in containers at the Shahid Rajaei Port as the cause of the blast. Jafari also revealed that the Director-General of Crisis Management had previously issued a warning about the potential risks during a visit to the port.
While the Iranian government spokesperson confirmed the possibility of a chemical-related explosion, the exact cause is yet to be determined.
According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, Shahid Rajaei Port is Iran's largest and most advanced container port. Located 23 kilometres west of Bandar Abbas and north of the critical Strait of Hormuz, the port plays a vital role in global oil trade, with a fifth of the world's oil being transported through this waterway.
In response to the disaster, Iranian President Masoud Pizzeshkian has ordered an immediate investigation into the incident and dispatched the Minister of the Interior to the site.
As a precautionary measure, all schools and offices in Bandar Abbas were closed on Sunday, April 27.
Even hours after the explosion, state television footage showed large plumes of black and orange smoke rising from the port area. Additionally, footage captured an office building with its doors blown off, with papers and debris scattered around the site.
Reports indicate that windows in buildings up to several kilometres away were shattered by the blast, and the explosion was heard as far as 26 kilometres south on Kish Island.
In recent years, Iran has experienced a series of deadly incidents involving its energy and industrial infrastructure, many of which, like Saturday's explosion, have been attributed to negligence.
