At least 516 people were injured on Saturday in a massive explosion and fire at the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, more than 1,000km south of capital Tehran, according to officials and state media, Al Jazeera reported.
Iran’s state media on Saturday reported a “massive explosion” at Shahid Rajaei, the country’s largest commercial port located in Hormozgan province on Iran’s southern coast, as per Al Jazeera.
Those who were injured were transferred to nearby medical centres.
Iranian state television said initial reports indicate negligence in the storage of flammable materials at the site, while Tehran Times reported that the explosion of several containers was the initial cause of the blast.
Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, Director of Hormozgan province’s crisis management organisation, told state television that the injured have been transferred to medical facilities, as per Al Jazeera.
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 following the blast, 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.
Several people were 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, Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)
