Explosion at Iranian Shahid Rajaee port leaves over 14 dead

BANDAR ABBAS: A powerful explosion at the Shahid Rajaee Port in southern Iran left at least 14 people dead and more than 750 injured, local officials reported.

The incident occurred on Saturday, with the emergency services and government authorities immediately springing into action. Iranian Interior Minister confirmed the rising death toll and reported that over 200 of the injured were being treated on “outpatient basis”; other serious injuries were being treated at medical facilities in nearby areas.

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According to reports, firefighters are hard to work to put out the fire following the explosion. The Iranian interior minister stated that resources from other cities was dispatched to help the firefighters.

The country’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, gave an official statement, offering condolences to the victims and their families. He also ordered an investigation into the cause of the explosion.

The Islamic Republic’s head of state appointed the interior minister as his special representative to oversee the enquiry and coordinate response efforts.

Explosion origins

The explosion reportedly originated in the container dock area of the port. Initial reports indicated the presence of flammable materials nearby.

Meanwhile, witnesses described how a minor fire quickly escalated, exacerbated by high temperatures and the accumulation of combustible material nearby.

The National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company had to clarify that the explosion was not linked to any of its facilities.

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The Shahid Rajaee Port is a key hub for Iranian trade. Spread over 2,400 hectares, it reportedly has the capacity of handling over 70 million tonnes of cargo in a single year.

The port has a history of security incidents, including a cyberattack attributed to Israel in 2020.