UPDATE - Death toll from massive explosion at southern Iran port rises to 5, over 700 injured

UPDATES WITH DEATH TOLL, CHANGES HEADLINE, ADDS DETAILS

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

TEHRAN, Iran (AA) - The death toll from a massive explosion that ripped through the Shahid Rajaee Port in southern Iran on Saturday has risen to five, according to officials, with at least 700 others injured.

In an interview with the state broadcaster, Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, director general of Crisis Management of Hormozgan province, confirmed that five people have so far been declared dead.

He said all agencies were immediately mobilized after the explosion was reported early on Saturday, adding that the situation is currently under control and efforts are underway to extinguish the fire.

The number of injured has been steadily rising. The National Emergency Organization in its latest update said at least 700 people have been injured and transferred to nearby hospitals so far.

To meet the blood supply needs for the injured, blood shipments have been sent to the city of Bandar Abbas from the provinces of Gilan, Tehran, Yazd, Hamedan, Kerman, North Khorasan, and Isfahan.

President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a statement on X, expressed sorrow and sympathy with the victims and issued an order to investigate the causes of the incident.

He said Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni was dispatched to the region as his special representative “to conduct a thorough investigation into the dimensions of the incident, ensure necessary coordination, and attend to the condition of the injured.”

Speaking to media from the site of the incident, Momeni said an aerial inspection was conducted over the site but the fire has not been fully extinguished yet.

He said the top priority for relief and rescue agencies is safeguarding the lives of people and carrying out rescue operations, extinguishing the fire and investigating the causes of the incident.

Earlier, First Vice President Mohammad Aref held separate phone calls with the governor of Hormozgan province and the head of the Red Crescent Society, issuing necessary instructions.

In a directive, Iran’s Customs Administration ordered all customs offices to halt the dispatch of export and transit shipments destined for Shahid Rajaee Customs at Bandar Abbas until further notice.

According to local media, the fire broke out at around 12 p.m. local time (08:30 GMT) at Shahid Rajaee Port, specifically in the container dock area. Initial reports suggest the presence of flammable materials near the site of the explosion.

Quoting witnesses, reports said a minor fire quickly spread and triggered the explosion due to the 40 degrees Celsius heat and the accumulation of flammable substances.

In a statement, the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company said the explosion and fire at the port are not related to the refineries, fuel storage tanks, or the distribution facilities and oil pipelines associated with the company and its operations continue uninterrupted.

The strategically important port, located in southern Hormozgan province, lies around 15 kilometers southwest of the port of Bandar Abbas on the northern shore of the Strait of Hormuz.