TEHRAN (Bhasha) - The death toll in a major blast at Iran's largest commercial port has risen to 25, local media reports said. "The total number of deaths is at least 25," the Tasnim news agency said, citing the head of the judiciary in Hormozgan province, Mojtaba Gharemani. About 800 others were injured in the incident.
The official IRNA news agency said the exact cause of the incident was not yet known. The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that the explosion occurred at the Shahid Rajaee port in the provincial capital, Bandar Abbas, after which rescue teams were immediately sent to the scene and all port activities were suspended.
In a statement to the semi-official Fars news agency on Sunday, Tehran Fire Department spokesman Jalal Maleki said the massive fire caused by the explosion had been almost brought under control, although there were still scattered flames, which he described as "not worrisome." Bandar Abbas Governor Ahmad Poyafar said on Saturday announced that all educational centers across the city would be closed on Sunday due to the blast and the resulting air pollution.
Hossein Zafari, a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Organization, told Fars that chemical materials in a container at the port could have caused the explosion. However, Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani warned against any “premature speculation” about the cause of the incident before relevant authorities complete their investigation. In a post on X, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed his condolences to the victims of the blast and announced that he had issued a directive to investigate the blast and its cause.
He added that Iranian Interior Minister Eskandhar Momeni had been sent to the province to ensure the necessary coordination and address the situation of the injured.
Several countries, as well as international organizations and groups, expressed their condolences to the Iranian people and government following the incident. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow and grief over the loss caused by the blast on Saturday, according to the Prime Minister's Office. "We stand with the Iranian government and people in this hour of grief," Sharif said.