Firefighters have put a fire under control in the main port of Iran, after a mortal explosion blame for negligence, said the authorities of the Islamic Republic.
The explosion, heard dozens of kilometers away, hit a dock in the southern port of Shahid Rajaee on Saturday.
At least 70 people were killed and more than 1,000 others suffered wounds in the explosion and fire, which also caused extensive damage, state media reported.
Red Crescent official, Mokhtar Salahshour, told the channel at night on Monday that the fire had been “content” and that a cleaning was underway.
State Television broadcast live images on Tuesday that show thick smoke that rises from stacked containers.
Iran IRNA The news agency cited Hossein Zafari, spokesman for the country’s crisis management organization, saying that the situation had improved significantly since Monday.
However, “the operation and complete extinction process can take around 15 to 20 days,” the agency said.
Iran’s customs authority said that port operations had returned to normal, according to the IRNA news agency.
The port of Shahid Rajae is located near the main coastal city of Bandar Abbas in the Hormuz Strait, a river route through which a fifth of the world oil production passes.
The provincial governor of Hormozgan, Mohammad Ashouri, ruled out the sabotage.
“The set of hypotheses and investigations carried out during the process indicated that the sabotage theory lacks the basis or relevance,” Television told State TELEVISION on Monday night.
The Puerto Customs Office said the explosion may have begun in a deposit that stores hazardous and chemical materials.
Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni said there were “deficiencies, including breach of security and negligence precautions.”
An assigned committee to investigate the explosion cited factors similar to the probable cause.
