Not less than 14 individuals have been killed and lots of injured by an explosion and hearth on the strategic Shahid Rajaee port
The loss of life toll from an explosion at Iran’s largest and most trendy port – a significant Strait of Hormuz hub for oil and petrochemical exports – has climbed to a minimum of 14, with lots of injured, in keeping with the inside minister.
The explosion rocked the Shahid Rajaee facility within the metropolis of Bandar Abbas round 11:55am on Saturday, injuring over 750 individuals. Inside Minister Eskandar Momeni mentioned that some 300 victims have been nonetheless hospitalized as of Saturday night, whereas the variety of confirmed fatalities had grown to 14.
Firefighters have been nonetheless battling the blaze late into the night time. Authorities secured the world and adjoining customs services to conduct a probe, suspecting poor chemical storage as a doable trigger.
“The reason for the explosion was the chemical compounds contained in the containers,” Hossein Zafari, a spokesperson for Iran’s disaster administration group, informed Iran’s ILNA information company. “Beforehand, the director common of disaster administration had given warnings to this port throughout their visits and had identified the opportunity of hazard.”
Nevertheless, the precise trigger had not but been formally decided, authorities spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani informed IRNA, warning in opposition to leaping to conclusions.
Iranian media offered conflicting accounts of the incident, with some suggesting the preliminary blast occurred at an administrative constructing, whereas others claimed a fuel tanker could have exploded. An in depth-up video circulating on-line appeared to indicate the epicenter situated on the freight container stockpile.
Different footage posted on-line confirmed thick smoke rising over the port space, as authorities evacuated close by neighborhoods and quickly suspended port operations.
In response to considerations over air high quality, Iran’s well being ministry declared a public well being emergency in Bandar Abbas, warning of the potential unfold of hazardous pollution together with ammonia, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Residents have been urged to remain indoors, keep away from out of doors actions, and maintain home windows closed. Weak teams – together with individuals with respiratory or coronary heart circumstances, kids, pregnant ladies, and the aged – have been suggested to put on masks.
A number of international locations, together with the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Japan, and Russia, have expressed condolences following the catastrophe. Saudi Arabia mentioned it was prepared to offer any help requested by Iran, whereas Russia’s embassy in Tehran acknowledged it could promptly relay any Iranian request for assist to Moscow. Iraq’s international ministry additionally provided help, with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordering officers to coordinate support efforts with Iranian authorities.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian provided his condolences to the victims and ordered a full investigation. Iran’s Prosecutor Normal instructed the provincial workplace to “take care of the doable perpetrators of the incident with utmost seriousness.”
Shahid Rajaee port is a strategic facility situated on the Strait of Hormuz about 1,050 kilometers southeast of Tehran. The port was focused in a suspected Israeli cyberattack in 2020. Iranian officers haven’t blamed any outdoors actor for Saturday’s incident, though Iranian Overseas Minister Abbas Araghchi warned earlier this week that “our safety companies are on excessive alert given previous situations of tried sabotage.”
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