A massive explosion at Iran’s most advanced port on Saturday left more than 500 people injured. Several containers detonated, triggering a huge blast and fire. Thick smoke could be seen rising from the port area in footage captured following the incident.
The explosion occurred at the Shahid Rajaee port dock, located 1000 kilometers south of Tehran, and efforts to extinguish the fire were underway, according to regional port official Esmaeil Malekizadeh, as reported by state TV.
Shahid Rajaee port, Iran’s most advanced container port, is situated 23 kilometers west of Bandar Abbas, the capital of Hormozgan province, and is located north of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which handles around a fifth of the world’s oil supply.
In response to the explosion, four rapid response teams were immediately deployed to the scene, said Mokhtar Salahshour, head of the Hormozgan Red Crescent Society.
Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, head of the province’s crisis management authority, confirmed to state TV that the explosion was caused by the detonation of several containers.