Bandar Abbas [Iran], April 26 (ANI):
At least 516 people were injured following a massive explosion and fire on Saturday at the Shahid Rajaei port in Iran’s southern city of Bandar Abbas, located more than 1,000 kilometers from Tehran, officials and state media reported.
Iran’s state television described the incident as a “massive explosion” at the country’s largest commercial port, situated in Hormozgan province along the southern coast. Injured individuals were quickly transported to nearby medical centers for treatment.
Initial reports cited by Iranian state media suggest that negligence in the storage of flammable materials triggered the explosion. The Tehran Times added that several containers exploded, sparking the devastating blast.
Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, Director of Hormozgan province’s crisis management organization, confirmed on state television that those injured were receiving care at medical facilities. He also noted that safety officials had previously visited the site and issued warnings about unsafe conditions.
Meanwhile, the National Iranian Oil Products Refining and Distribution Company released a statement clarifying that the explosion did not affect any oil facilities.
“The explosion and fire in Shahid Rajaei Port have no connection to refineries, fuel tanks, distribution complexes, or oil pipelines related to this company,” the statement read.
Esmaeil Malekizadeh, an official with the Hormozgan Ports and Maritime Administration, indicated that the explosion occurred near the Shahid Rajaei port dock, an area that primarily handles container traffic but also houses oil tanks and petrochemical facilities.
Footage and eyewitness accounts showed people tending to the injured and assessing the damage around the blast zone.
The explosion comes at a particularly sensitive time as Iranian officials continue negotiations with U.S. representatives regarding a possible new nuclear deal, Al Jazeera reported.
Notably, Shahid Rajaei port was previously targeted in May 2020, when Israel was accused of launching a cyberattack that paralyzed the facility’s computer systems and disrupted operations for days. (ANI)
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