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The death toll from the powerful explosion at Iran’s Bandar Abbas port has climbed to at least 25, with more than 700 people injured, Reuters reported, citing state media. Firefighters continued efforts on Sunday to fully extinguish the blaze, which erupted on Saturday in the Shahid Rajaee section of the port — Iran’s largest container hub.
The blast, which officials suspect was caused by chemical materials, devastated the area, shattering windows for several kilometers around Bandar Abbas and ripping metal from shipping containers, the report said. Goods stored in the port were also severely damaged.
Iran’s crisis management organisation reported that out of 752 people treated for injuries, 190 remain hospitalised. Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, who visited the site, told state TV that “80% of the fire had been extinguished by Sunday morning” and that firefighting efforts were expected to continue for a few more hours.
While operations resumed in parts of Shahid Rajaee, the full cause of the blast remains unclear. President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered an investigation into the incident, according to Reuters.
A spokesperson for Iran’s crisis management organisation reportedly said on Saturday that poor storage of chemicals in containers at Shahid Rajaee likely contributed to the explosion, noting that earlier warnings had highlighted potential safety risks. Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani, however, urged caution, reportedly saying it was “still too early to say” and warned against “premature speculation.”
Notably, the incident coincided with a third round of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States in Oman.
Iran has witnessed a series of deadly incidents impacting its industrial and energy sectors in recent years, including refinery fires, a gas explosion at a coal mine, and an emergency repair incident at Bandar Abbas in 2023 that killed one worker.
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