A mass explosion was reported in the port of Shahid Rajaee in southern Iran, local media reported on Saturday, leaving four people dead and more than 500 wounds.
“Unfortunately, rescuers have confirmed at least four deaths,” TV, the head of the organization of help and rescue of the Red Society Red Crescent, Babak Mahmoudi, told State TV.
State television, citing emergency services, reported that “516 people have been injured since hundreds of people have been transferred to nearby medical centers” in the southern province of Hormozgan, where the port of Shahid Rajaee is located.
The explosion was reported around 12:30 am local time (2100GMT/2AM PKT) on Saturday.
The strategically important port, located in the province of southern Hormozgan, is located about 15 kilometers southwest of the port of Bandar Abbas on the north coast of the Hortuz Strait.
The explosion was probably caused by the poorly stored chemical materials that detonated, Hossein Zafari, spokesman for the Iran’s crisis management organization.
“The cause of the explosion was the chemicals within the containers,” he told Iran ILNA news agency. “Previously, the Director General of Crisis Management had granted warnings to this port during his visits and had pointed out the possibility of danger.”
The explosion occurred when Iran began a third round of nuclear conversations with the United States in Oman, but there was no immediate indication of a link between the two events.
According to the semi-official Tasnim news agencyIt could have been caused by the explosion of a fuel tank, however, so far there has not been an official statement in this regard.
The report says that rapid response equipment was immediately sent to the site of the incident, with temporarily suspended port operations to allow security and emergency forces to restore order.
The semi -official FARS NEWS AGENCY He quoted local officials in Hormozgan saying that the explosion occurred in a section of the pier of the port of Rajae Shahid, and added that efforts are being made to extinguish the fire.
