New casualties are joining the ranks of the deceased in a tragic explosion at the Shahid Rajai Port in Iran. The death toll has risen to 14, with 750 people injured, according to the state news agency IRNA. Shahid Rajai Port, located 1,000 kilometers south of Tehran, is known as Iran’s most modern container port. It is situated 23 kilometers west of Bandar Abbas city and to the north of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported.
After Saturday’s explosion, thick black smoke rose from the port area, and helicopters were used to extinguish the fire in the containers. Hossein Jafari, spokesperson for Iran’s crisis management agency, initially suggested that the explosion could have been caused by chemical substances in the containers. He also mentioned that authorities had previously been warned about such a risk.
An Iranian government spokesperson also pointed to chemicals as a possible cause of the explosion, although nothing has been confirmed yet. President Masoud Pejashkian has ordered an investigation into the incident, and Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni has arrived at the scene. He stated that efforts to extinguish the fire and prevent further spread are ongoing.
About 10 hours after the explosion, footage from local media showed the fire intensifying, with thick black smoke spreading. In Bandar Abbas, located 23 kilometers from the explosion site, authorities have ordered the closure of all schools and offices today to allow for emergency management operations.
