4 Dead, Over 516 Injured In Explosion At Iran's Shahid Rajaee Port: Reports

The port, Shahid Rajaee, is located around 1,000 kilometres south of the capital city of Tehran, and it handles container traffic, oil tanks, and other petrochemical facilities.

Photo Credit: ANI

After a huge explosion on Saturday at the Shahid Rajaee port of Iran's Bandar Abbas city, four people died and over 516 were injured, according to media reports.

Containers at the port exploded, which resulted in a massive blast. The footage of the incident showed thick smoke emerging from the area, NDTV reported. Furthermore, the activities on the port were suspended to put out the fire.

The port, Shahid Rajaee, is located around 1,000 kilometres south of the capital city of Tehran. The port handles container traffic, has oil tanks, and other petrochemical facilities.

Iran's state media on Saturday reported the explosion at Shahid Rajaee, the country's largest commercial port located in Hormozgan province on Iran's southern coast, news agency ANI reported, citing an Al Jazeera report. 

Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, Director of Hormozgan province's crisis management organisation, told state television that the injured have been transferred to medical facilities, the news agency further cited the Al Jazeera report. Hormozgan also informed that safety officials had previously visited the site and issued safety warnings.

Cause Of Explosion at Iran's Port

Iranian state television stated that the initial reports indicate negligence in flammable materials storage at the site. On the other hand, Tehran Times reported that the explosion of several containers was the initial cause of the blast, according to ANI.

Aftermath of Explosion At Iran’s Port

According to NDTV, Mokhtar Salahshour, Head of the Hormozgan Red Crescent Society, informed state TV that four rapid response teams were sent to the scene of the incident.

The National Iranian Oil Products Refining and Distribution Company issued a statement after the incident and said that the 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 stated that the blast occurred near the Shahid Rajaee port dock. Several individuals were seen around the site attending to the injured and checking the damage to the properties.

In May of 2020, Israel was accused of launching a major cyberattack on the port, causing transport chaos for several days after crashing the facility's computer system.

US-Iran Nuclear Talks

The explosion occurred at a time when Iran continues to engage with United States officials on a nuclear deal. 

On Wednesday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei condemned the US's sanctions on people and entities linked to the Iranian oil, energy, gas, and individuals involved in the country's "peaceful" nuclear programme.

According to news agency IANS, the sanctions are the seventh such action taken by the American government against Iran since February 4, when US President Donald Trump inked a presidential memorandum ordering a campaign of maximum pressure on the country.

The sanctions came despite the ongoing Oman-mediated indirect talks between Iran and the US. The first round was held in Muscat, and the second in Rome. The third round was scheduled to take place in Oman on Saturday.

(with agencies’ inputs)