DUBAI, April 26 — At least 281 people were injured today after a massive explosion shook Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran, according to state media.
DUBAI, April 26 — At least 281 people were injured today after a massive explosion shook Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran, according to state media.
The blast coincided with Iran’s third round of nuclear negotiations with the United States in Oman. The cause of the explosion remains unclear.
“A number of containers at the Shahid Rajaee Port wharf area exploded. We are currently evacuating and transferring the injured to medical centres,” a local crisis management official told state television.
State TV, citing a spokesperson for first responders, confirmed that at least 281 individuals had been injured, although no fatalities have been reported so far.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency shared footage showing injured individuals lying on the ground amid scenes of chaos.
Firefighting efforts are ongoing. Port authorities said that trucks are being evacuated from the area and that the affected container yard likely contained “dangerous goods and chemicals.”
State TV also reported that “negligence in handling flammable materials” contributed to the explosion.
The National Iranian Petroleum Refining and Distribution Company clarified that the explosion did not impact oil facilities, stating: “The explosion and fire at Shahid Rajaee Port are unrelated to refineries, fuel tanks, distribution complexes, or oil pipelines linked to this company.”
Iranian media reported that the blast shattered windows several kilometres away, with video footage showing a mushroom cloud forming above the site. Fars news agency added that the explosion was heard as far as Qeshm island, located 26 kilometres south of Bandar Abbas.
In 2020, the same port suffered a cyberattack that severely disrupted operations, an incident The Washington Post attributed to Israel, allegedly in retaliation for an Iranian cyberattack.
When asked about potential Israeli involvement in today’s incident, there was no immediate response from the Israeli military or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. — Reuters
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