Desk:A major explosion at Iran’s Shahid Rajaee Port on Saturday triggered a massive fire that left at least 14 people dead and over 750 injured, according to local reports. Strong winds have hampered firefighting efforts, while thick smoke continues to blanket the surrounding areas.
Key Developments:
- The blast occurred at the Shahid Rajaee Port, located in southern Iran, leading to a fierce fire that intensified due to strong winds.
- Thick black smoke spread across the region, prompting authorities to shut down schools and offices in Bandar Abbas, a city situated over 20 kilometers away.
- Local media broadcast images of helicopters dousing burning shipping containers with water as survivors navigated debris-strewn streets nearby.
- The explosion was powerful enough to be felt and heard up to 50 kilometers away, according to the Fars news agency. Tasnim news agency further reported that the shockwave caused extensive damage to most port buildings.
- The cause of the explosion is currently under investigation. State television cited the port’s customs office, saying the fire originated in a storage depot for hazardous and chemical materials.
- According to The New York Times, a source linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that sodium perchlorate — a key component in missile solid fuel — was the material that exploded.
- Hundreds of injured individuals have been transported to nearby medical facilities. The provincial blood transfusion center has urgently appealed for blood donations.
- Shahid Rajaee Port, located more than 1,000 kilometers south of Tehran, is Iran’s most advanced container port and lies close to the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world’s oil supply passes.
- Despite the devastating explosion, oil operations at Bandar Abbas have not been affected. The state-run National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company confirmed that the blast had no impact on refineries, fuel tanks, distribution centers, or oil pipelines.
- The incident comes just as Iranian and U.S. delegations concluded high-level talks in Oman regarding Iran’s nuclear program, with both sides reporting progress.
