Four dead in explosion at Iran's Bandar Abbas port

At least four people were killed and more than 510 injured in a powerful explosion and subsequent fire at a port in the southern Iranian city of Bandar Abbas on Saturday. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered the Minister of Interior, Eskandar Momeni, to visit Bandar Abbas this Saturday afternoon to investigate the incident and submit an initial report. Officials immediately declared an emergency alert at all hospitals in Bandar Abbas , the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported, adding that at least 516 were injured. All operations were suspended at the Shahid Rajaee port, as firefighters battled to extinguish the blaze. "The cause of this incident was the explosion of several containers stored in the Shahid Rajaee port wharf area. We are currently evacuating and transferring the injured to medical centres," a local crisis management official told state TV. Hossein Zafari, a spokesman for Iran's crisis management organisation, appeared to blame the explosion on the poor storage of chemicals in containers at Shahid Rajaee. "The cause of the explosion was the chemicals inside the containers," he told Iran's Ilna news agency. "Previously, the director general of crisis management had given warnings to this port during their visits and had pointed out the possibility of danger." An Iranian government representative said that, although chemicals had probably caused the blast, it was not yet possible to determine the exact reason. Five Red Crescent helicopters were sent to assist in extinguishing the blaze, head of the Iranian Red Crescent Pirhossein Kolivand said. "Early on, four rapid response teams were sent to the site, and as of now, 20 rescue and relief teams, along with Red Crescent ambulances, are on the ground to provide aid to the injured," he added. The state-run National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company said the blast did not affect energy installations. All lorries that have completed customs formalities were being removed from the Bandar Abbas area, customs authorities said. The explosion, which occurred at the Sina container yard in the port, is believed to have originated from a depot containing dangerous goods and chemicals. The blast occurred within 2km radius of the customs office building. The explosion caused extensive damage to structures in the area. The roof of one building collapsed on employees. A port official told Tasnim that several employees were still trapped under collapsed roofs and that rescue operations are under way. Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, director general of crisis management in Hormozgan province, said the governor and key agencies were present at the scene. Firefighting operations were continuing. Military, law enforcement and crisis teams were sent to the area. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed the country's solidarity with Iran and its people, and expressed its wishes of a speedy recovery for all the injured, state news agency Wam reported. The blast occurred as Iran began a third round of nuclear talks with the US in Oman. Bandar Abbas, the capital of Hormozgan province, is Iran's main southern port city, situated on the northern reaches of the Strait of Hormuz, vital to the global oil industry. The port handles a significant portion of Iran's container traffic and is equipped to accommodate large vessels. The blast shattered windows within a radius of several kilometres, Iranian media said, with footage shared online showing a large cloud of smoke rising into the air following the explosion. In 2020, computers at the same port were hit by a cyber attack that caused traffic back-ups on waterways and roads leading to the port. The Washington Post reported that Iran 's arch-foe Israel appeared to be behind that incident as retaliation for an earlier Iranian cyber attack.

Four dead in explosion at Iran's Bandar Abbas port

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian orders investigation into blast that injured hundreds