Bandar Abbas, Iran –
A massive explosion rocked Iran’s Shahid Rajaei port near Bandar Abbas on Saturday, killing at least five people and injuring more than 700 others, Iranian authorities confirmed.
Mehrdad Hasanzadeh, head of Hormozgan province’s crisis management organisation, announced the updated casualty figures during an interview with state television. Earlier reports had placed the toll at four dead and more than 500 injured.
Iranian state media said initial investigations pointed to negligence in the storage of flammable and hazardous materials at the port. The Customs Administration of Iran later issued a statement blaming the explosion on “a stockpile of hazardous goods and chemical materials,” without providing further details.
Social media footage showed a towering column of black smoke and a fireball rising over the port, located over 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) south of Tehran. Other videos showed extensive damage to buildings, vehicles, and infrastructure, with civilians rushing to assist the injured.
Hasanzadeh said the injured had been transferred to nearby medical facilities, adding that safety officials had previously issued warnings about the site.
Oil facilities unaffected The National Iranian Oil Products Refining and Distribution Company confirmed that nearby oil refineries, pipelines, and fuel storage facilities were not impacted by the blast.
“The explosion and fire in Shahid Rajaei Port have no connection to refineries, fuel tanks, distribution complexes, or oil pipelines,” the company said in a statement.
Esmaeil Malekizadeh, an official with the Hormozgan Ports and Maritime Administration, said the explosion occurred near the Shahid Rajaei dock, within the Sina container yard operated by the Ports and Maritime Organization.
Port’s strategic significance Shahid Rajaei port is Iran’s largest and most advanced container terminal and also houses oil tanks and petrochemical facilities. In May 2020, it was the target of a major cyberattack — allegedly by Israel — that disrupted operations for days.
The explosion comes at a sensitive time, as Iranian officials are engaged in talks with the United States over a potential new nuclear agreement.
Iran’s customs authority confirmed that Saturday’s explosion took place within the Sina container yard.
Authorities continue to assess the full extent of the damage.
