A powerful explosion tore through Iran’s southern port city of Bandar Abbas, killing at least five people and injuring more than 700.
Social media footage captured a massive fireball and thick plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky, as emergency services rushed to the scene. Authorities are investigating the cause of the blast amid rising concerns over public safety.
Mehrdad Hasanzadeh, director of Hormozgan province’s crisis management organisation, provided the figures on Saturday during an interview on state television. The previous toll was four dead and more than 500 others injured in the explosion at Shahid Rajaei port, located more than 1,000km (620 miles) south of the capital, Tehran.
Iranian state television said initial reports indicate negligence in the storage of flammable materials at the site.
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On Saturday night, the state-run news agency said that the Customs Administration of Iran blamed a “stockpile of hazardous goods and chemical materials stored in the port area” for the blast, without elaborating.
Hassanzadeh also told state television that the injured have been transferred to medical facilities.
He said that safety officials had previously visited the site of the incident, and issued safety warnings.
National Iranian Oil Products Refining and Distribution Company issued a statement saying oil facilities in the area were not affected by the blast.
“The explosion and fire in Shahid Rajaei Port have no connection to refineries, fuel tanks, distribution complexes and oil pipelines related to this company,” the company said.
Earlier, Hormozgan Ports and Maritime Administration official Esmaeil Malekizadeh said the explosion took place near the Shahid Rajaei port dock.
Social media videos showed a huge plume of black smoke and a ball of fire rising from the area of the explosion.
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Other videos showed damage to buildings and vehicles. Several people were also seen around the area attending to the injured and checking the damage to the properties.
Shahid Rajaei port mainly handles container traffic and also has oil tanks and other petrochemical facilities.
In May 2020, Israel was accused of launching a major cyberattack on the same port, causing transport chaos for days after crashing the facility’s computer system.
The blast comes at a sensitive time as Iranian officials continue to engage in talks with United States officials on a possible new nuclear deal.
