Iranian port blast toll rises to 25 dead, 1,139 injured

KABUL (Pajhwok): More than two dozen lives have been lost in a massive explosion at a bustling port in Iran, state media reported on Sunday.

At least 25 people were killed, 1,139 others wounded, with six individuals in the huge blast at the Shahid Rajaee Port on Saturday, IRNA said.

The Justice Department in Hormozgan province said 10 of the victims — eight men and two women — had been identified so far. Local authorities have declared three days of mourning.

Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni said all necessary measures had been taken in compliance with an order from President Masoud Pezeshkian.

The report said the powerful blast caused damage in surrounding areas, affecting a number of industrial units in western Bandar Abbas.

Located near the Strait of Hormoz, Shahid Rajaee Port is Iran’s biggest container hub, handling almost 80 percent of the country’s container activities.

Black smoke is still visible at the scene. “The fire is under control but still not out,” reported a state TV correspondent from the site.

According to Tasnim news agency, the impact of the explosion was so strong that most of the port buildings were severely damaged.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates expressed “solidarity with Iran” over the explosion and Saudi Arabia sent condolences.

PAN Monitor/mud