Several killed, more than 500 injured in massive blast in Iranian port city [View all]
Source: France24
A massive explosion and fire at a port in southern Iran has killed four people, authorities said Saturday.
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At least 516 others have been injured in the blast at the Shahid Rajaei port just outside of Bandar Abbas, a major facility for container shipments for the Islamic Republic that handles some 80 million tons (72.5 million metric tons) of goods a year.
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Authorities offered no cause for the explosion hours later, though videos suggested whatever ignited at the port was highly combustible.
Industrial accidents happen in Iran, particularly at its aging oil facilities that struggle for access to parts under international sanctions. But Iranian state TV specifically ruled out any energy infrastructure as causing or being damaged in the blast.
Read more: https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250426-%F0%9F%94%B4-at-least-281-injured-in-explosion-at-port-in-iran-s-bandar-abbas-state-media-says
According to reports, witnesses say the explosion occurred after a fire broke out and spread to unsealed containers storing "flammable materials", most probably, chemicals.
"The source of this incident was the explosion of several containers stored in the Shahid Rajaee Port wharf area," a crisis management official in the region said.
One analyst firm said it believed the affected containers had contained solid fuel for Iranian missiles.
The fire had been the result of "improper handling of a shipment of solid fuel intended for use in Iranian ballistic missiles," according to Ambrey Intelligence, a global maritime risk firm.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx251yyvwr3o