Large blast rocks south Iran port

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Five people have been killed and more than 500 injured in a massive explosion at the port of Shahid Rajaee in Iran’s southern coastal city Bandar Abbas on Saturday.

“A terrible explosion occurred in the area of the Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas,” Babak Mahmoudi from the Iranian Red Crescent told state media. 

He said that four people have been confirmed killed.

At least 561 people have been injured, according to IRNA.

The cause of the blast remains unclear and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered an investigation into the incident.

“The minister of interior was dispatched to the region as a special representative to closely examine the dimensions of the accident, establish the necessary coordination, and address the condition of the injured,” Pezeshkian added in a post on X, expressing sympathy for the injured.

The explosion caused extensive damage, also affecting industries located in the area, IRNA reported.

Footage showed large clouds of black smoke rising over the site of the blast.

Some reports indicate that the blast was caused by a fuel tanker, though the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company said that there was “no connection with the refineries, fuel tanks, and oil pipelines in the area.”

A port administration official told state media that chemical materials stored at the port were the likely culprit behind the explosion.

Located in Hormozgan province, Shahid Rajaee is Iran’s largest commercial port, according to IRNA. 

Updated at 6:20 pm