Hundreds injured in Shahid Rajaee Port’s blast in southern Iran

TEHRAN, April 26 (YPA) – A massive explosion rocked Shahid Rajaee Port in the southern Iranian city of Bandar Abbas on Saturday, injuring 561 people, Iranian state media reported.

A local official concerned with crisis management told Iranian state television that the cause of the incident was the explosion of several containers stored in the port dock area and that the injured are currently being evacuated and transferred to nearby medical centers.

The television quoted Esmail Malekizadeh, an official in the Ports and Maritime Administration of Hormozgan Province, as saying that the explosion occurred in a part of the Shahid Rajaee Port’s dock, and firefighters were working to extinguish the fire.

The semi-official “Tasnim” news agency reported that port activities were suspended to extinguish the fire, and “many people are likely injured or even killed,” given the large number of port employees and the first working day of the week in Iran.

Iranian media stated that the explosion shattered windows several kilometers away, and footage circulated online showing a cloud of smoke rising following the explosion.

The explosion occurred as a third round of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States began in Oman. The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear.

Shahid Rajaee Port, located near the major coastal city of Bandar Abbas, is Iran’s largest commercial port, handling more than 70% of Iranian goods, according to official data.

The port is located on the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil production passes.

YPA