Two men ride a motorcycle along a destroyed pathway in Hormozgan province after an explosion struck the Shahid Rajaee port dock in southwestern Iran on April 26. (Mohammad Rasole Moradi/IRNA/AFP via Getty Images)
At least 14 people were killed and around 750 injured following a massive explosion at the port of Bandar Abbas in southwestern Iran, according to official Iranian media citing the country’s interior ministry.
Footage verified by CNN shows thick gray smoke billowing from the Shahid Rajaee section of the port. Authorities believe the explosion may have been triggered by chemicals stored at the site.
Iran’s Interior Minister, Eskandar Momeni, reported that six people are still missing as firefighters continue battling the blaze, hampered by strong winds, according to Iranian media.
Iran’s National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company clarified that the explosion was not linked to nearby refineries, fuel tanks, or oil pipelines under its management. Earlier, state media had suggested the blast might have been triggered by the explosion of a fuel tanker at the port, though the reasons remain unknown.
Following the incident, Iranian officials declared a state of emergency in Bandar Abbas due to a sharp rise in air pollution levels.
The Ministry of Health has dispatched emergency response teams and introduced health precautions, urging residents to stay indoors, minimize outdoor activities, and keep windows shut, according to official reports.
A video released by the Mehr news agency captured surveillance footage showing the exact moment the explosion occurred, seemingly inside a warehouse at the port. Additional clips showed helicopters dousing the fire sparked by the blast with water.
State media reported that debris was scattered across a wide area, causing significant damage to numerous buildings within the port complex. Windows were shattered across several kilometers.
Some accounts indicated that people were trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building.
Mohammad Ashouri Taziani, the region’s governor, said that the injured were being taken to medical facilities in Bandar Abbas. The port has been shut down, and maritime operations have been halted, according to official sources.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for a full investigation into the cause of the explosion. Posting on X, he said he had dispatched the interior minister to the site to "examine the scope of the incident."
Pezeshkian stressed the importance of a "thorough review of the causes" to help prevent similar accidents in the future after preliminary findings are gathered.
According to state broadcaster IRIB, the blast occurred in an area of the port designated for storing chemicals and sulfur.
A helicopter navigates through thick black smoke over the scene of a port explosion in Iran on Saturday, which left at least five dead and over 700 injured. (Mohammad Rasole Moradi/IRNA/AFP via Getty Images)
The explosion has stunned the nation, with many citizens shown on Iran’s state-run Press TV lining up at health centers to donate blood for the wounded.
The Shahid Rajaee port is a major hub for container shipping, spanning 2,400 hectares (about 5,900 acres). It processes around 70 million tons of cargo each year, including oil and general freight, and features nearly 500,000 square meters (5.4 million square feet) of warehouse space along with 35 shipping berths.
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