Five killed, over 700 injured after huge explosion rocks Shahid Rajaee port in southern Iran

A powerful explosion at Shahid Rajaee port in southern Iran has caused widespread damage and casualties, with emergency teams rushing to the scene to bring the situation under control.

The head of Crisis Management for Hormozgan Province said that the death toll from the explosion has risen to five.

At least 700 people were also injured after a fuel tanker exploded for unknown reasons at Shahid Rajaee port in Hormozgan Province on Saturday.

The wounded were transferred to Hormozgan hospitals.

The director general of Hormozgan’s crisis management department said the explosion was extremely strong, but the cause has not yet been determined.

Initial reports indicate that the blast originated in an administrative building within the port complex. The blast was so intense that it completely destroyed the administrative building and severely damaged many vehicles.

Babak Mahmoudi, head of Iran’s Relief and Rescue Organization, had earlier confirmed to Press TV that the massive explosion at Shahid Rajaee had left four people dead.

“So far, 516 people have been injured, and they have been evacuated from the site. Some of them have been injured by broken glass and most of them were superficial wounds and they have been released and four people have so far been confirmed dead at the site because at this site there were chemical storage facilities,” Mahmoudi said in an interview with Press TV as he provided details of the blast.

He said that the fire is still ongoing and the firefighters are trying to put it out, expressing hope that they could bring the situation under control in the next few hours.

Mahmoudi further explained that the blast took place around 11:55 local time, adding that several relief and rescue teams were quickly dispatched to the scene.

“Helicopters were also deployed to extinguish the fire,” he said, noting that another helicopter was dispatched for emergency services.

Following the incident, all port operations were suspended as security and emergency teams worked to secure the area. Authorities immediately declared a state of emergency at hospitals across Bandar Abbas in preparation for possible mass casualties.

Parliament sets up special committee

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf announced the formation of a special committee comprising members from four specialized parliamentary commissions of Civil Affairs, National Security, Internal Affairs, and Health.

The committee has been tasked with conducting an on-site investigation to assess the situation and evaluate the response efforts, he said.

Their mission includes providing a detailed and transparent report on the handling of the incident and the performance of relevant authorities to the Parliament.