According to Iranian state media reports, a serious explosion occurred at Iran’s largest port, Bandar Abbas, on Saturday (April 26), possibly triggered by the explosion of stored chemicals. The incident has resulted in at least 4 deaths and over 500 injuries.
The explosion took place while Iran and the United States were holding their third round of nuclear negotiations in Oman. The explosion occurred in the Shahid Rajaee area of Bandar Abbas, but at present, there is no indication that this explosion is related to the US-Iran talks.
Hossein Zafari, a spokesperson for Iran’s Crisis Management Organization, seems to attribute the explosion to improper storage of chemical substances in the Shahid Rajaee containers. He told the Iranian ILNA news agency, “The cause of the explosion was the chemicals inside the containers.”
“Previously, the Director-General of Crisis Management had issued a warning during an inspection of the port, indicating potential risks,” Zafari said.
However, an Iranian government spokesperson stated that although chemicals are likely the cause of the explosion, the exact reason cannot be determined at present.
Official Iranian news channels broadcasted images of thick smoke over the port after the explosion, with the door of an office building blown off, papers and debris scattered everywhere.
Bandar Abbas is Iran’s largest port, responsible for handling the majority of transit containers in Iran.
According to Iranian media reports, the explosion shattered windows within a radius of several kilometers, and the sound of the explosion could be heard as far as Qeshm Island, 26 kilometers (16 miles) south of the port.
A semi-official Tasnim news agency released a video showing injured men lying on the road, with scenes of chaos and people receiving medical treatment on site.
As rescue personnel attempted to extinguish the large fire, port customs officials stated that trucks were being evacuated from the area, and the exploded containers may have contained “dangerous goods and chemicals.” Officials mentioned that port activities were halted after the explosion.
(This article references reporting from Reuters.)