At Least 25 Killed, 1000 Injured in Massive Explosion at Major Port Facility: Reports

At least 25 people have reportedly been killed and around 1000 injured amid a massive explosion at a port facility in southern Iran.

The blast occurred at the Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas on Saturday, April 26, and is believed to have been set off by hazardous chemical materials stored in the port area, Iranian news agency IRNA, CNN and Reuters reported.

Footage obtained by the outlets showed thick plumes of black smoke from the explosion stretching across the port area near the Strait of Hormuz. Another clip showed locals filming the blast while driving into a nearby car park, as smoke and fire filled the air.

A total of 8 men and 2 women have been positively identified as killed in the incident, the public relations office of the Justice Department of Hormozgan Province confirmed, per IRNA. Six people remain missing.

752 people have also been treated for injuries and 190 are currently being treated in Bandar Abbas medical centers, Reuters and CNN reported.

Shahid Rajaee is Iran’s largest container hub. The port reportedly handles 80 million tons of cargo every year, including oil and general shipping, according to The Guardian.

Helicopters reportedly dropped water over the site of the explosion throughout Saturday night and Sunday morning, the Associated Press reported. According to the outlet, state media reported that the fire was fully extinguished later on Sunday, April 27.

No official cause of the blast has been given at this time.

“So far what has been determined is that containers were stored in a corner of the port that likely contained chemicals which exploded. But until the fire is extinguished, it’s hard to ascertain the cause,” Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said in a statement, according to CNN.

Initial reports by local media suggested that a fuel tanker exploded “for unknown reasons” at the port. People were also reported trapped in wreckage as buildings close to the port collapsed amid the impact of the blast, CNN added.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed his condolences in a statement on X, “While expressing deep regret and sympathy for the victims of the accident in Hormozgan province, I issued an order to investigate the situation and causes of the accident.”