A huge explosion at Iran’s Shahid Rajaee port on Saturday left over 400 people injured. The blast was caused after several containers exploded, leading to a big fire and thick smoke across the area.
Esmaeil Malekizadeh, a port official, told state TV, “The explosion occurred in a part of the Shahid Rajaee port dock, and we are extinguishing the fire.”
Shahid Rajaee port is Iran’s most advanced container port, located about 1,000 kilometres south of Tehran and near the important Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil passes.
Mokhtar Salahshour, head of the Hormozgan Red Crescent Society, said, “Four rapid response teams were dispatched to the scene after the explosion.”
Officials said that emergency teams are working to control the fire and help the injured. Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, who leads the province’s crisis management authority, confirmed, “We are currently evacuating and transporting the injured to nearby medical centres.”
The cause of the explosion was confirmed to be the blast of several containers.
