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A huge blast likely caused by the explosion of chemical materials has killed at least 14 people and injured more than 700 on Saturday at Iran’s biggest port, Bandar Abbas, Iranian state media has reported.
The blast hit the Shahid Rajee terminal, Iran’s biggest container hub near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
It was likely caused by chemicals stored poorly in containers, according to a spokesperson for Iran’s crisis management organisation.
Officials said windows shattered several kilometres away and the blast was heard in Qeshm, an island 26 kilometres south of the port.
More than 700 injured
As rescue efforts continue, at least 14 people have been killed and over 700 injured, according to authorities.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered an investigation of the incident and sent to the site his interior minister, who said efforts were continuing to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading to other areas.
Port operations were paused, and trucks were evacuated from the area where the explosion occurred in fear that it likely contained “dangerous goods and chemicals”.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency posted footage of injured men lying on the road being tended to amid scenes of confusion.
Officials said windows shattered kilometres away and the blast could be heard as far as Qeshm Island, 26 kilometres south of the port. Source: AP / Mohammad Rasoul Moradi
What has Iran said?
Hossein Zafari, a spokesperson for Iran’s crisis management organisation, blamed the incident on poor storage.
“The cause of the explosion was the chemicals inside the containers,” he told Iran’s ILNA news agency.
“Previously, the Director General of Crisis Management had given warnings to this port during their visits and had pointed out the possibility of danger,” Zafari added.
However, an Iranian government spokesperson said that although chemicals had likely caused the blast, it was not yet possible to determine the exact reason.
Past incidents
It’s not the first time a deadly incident like this has hit Iran, with many blaming negligence.
Recent events have included:
- Refinery fires
- A gas explosion at a coal mine
- An emergency repair incident at Bandar Abbas that killed one worker in 2023
Iran has blamed some other incidents on its arch-foe Israel, which has carried out attacks on Iranian soil targeting Iran’s nuclear programme in recent years and last year bombed the country’s air defences.
With reporting by the Australian Associated Press.
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