The death toll from a powerful explosion at Iran’s biggest port of Bandar Abbas has risen to at least 28 dead, with more than 1000 people injured.
State media reported that firefighters worked to fully extinguish the fire which Officials say was probably caused by chemical materials.
The incident took place in the Shahid Rajaee section of the port – Iran’s biggest container hub.
The force of the explosion shattered windows for several kilometres around Bandar Abbas, which is located near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, tearing metal shreds off shipping containers and badly damaging goods stored inside.
Iran’s crisis management organisation said that of the 752 people who had received treatment for their injuries, 190 were still being treated in medical centres.
Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni explained that firefighting efforts would continue for a few more hours as Some operations resumed in parts of Shahid Rajaee that were not affected by the fire or damage.
Although chemical materials are thought to have been involved, the exact cause of the explosion is yet to be clarified and President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered an investigation.
A spokesperson for the country’s crisis management organisation blamed the explosion on poor storage of chemicals in containers at Shahid Rajaee, adding that earlier warnings had highlighted potential safety risks
