At least 516 people were injured in a massive explosion and fire at the Shahid Rajaei Port in Bandar Abbas, Iran’s largest commercial port, located over 1,000 km south of Tehran, according to Iranian officials and reports from Al Jazeera.
The explosion occurred on Saturday at the vital Hormozgan province facility, sparking widespread damage and panic. Injured victims were rushed to nearby medical centers for treatment.
Iranian state television attributed the cause of the explosion to negligence in the storage of flammable materials, with initial reports suggesting that the detonation of several containers triggered the inferno.
Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, Director of Hormozgan’s Crisis Management Organisation, confirmed that safety warnings had previously been issued at the site, raising questions about compliance and preventive measures.
In a statement released shortly after the explosion, the National Iranian Oil Products Refining and Distribution Company clarified that the blast did not impact nearby refineries, fuel tanks, distribution complexes, or oil pipelines.
“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 emphasized.
Officials from the Hormozgan Ports and Maritime Administration, including Esmaeil Malekizadeh, said the blast took place near one of the port docks, where flammable goods were being stored.
Footage and eyewitness accounts from the scene showed chaotic efforts to attend to the injured and assess the damage. Emergency crews worked tirelessly to control the fire and secure the port facilities.
Background and Tensions:
The Shahid Rajaei port primarily handles container traffic but also hosts oil and petrochemical storage.
Notably, in May 2020, the port was targeted by a suspected Israeli cyberattack that disrupted operations for days.
The latest explosion comes at a highly sensitive time as Iranian officials are in ongoing negotiations with the United States regarding a potential new nuclear deal, adding further geopolitical tension to an already fragile regional environment.