The explosion at Iran’s Shahid Rajaee Port, involving dangerous chemicals, has led to a rising death toll, the closure of schools, and concerns over toxic gases.
The death toll has risen to 25, with more than 1,100 injured, following a massive explosion that targeted the Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas, southeastern Iran, the Iranian Tasnim News Agency reported on Sunday.
The explosion took place on Saturday afternoon, and several hours after the incident, state television reported that emergency teams were struggling to extinguish the fire due to strong winds.
The port’s customs authority stated that trucks had been evacuated from the area, and that the container yard where the explosion occurred likely contained “dangerous goods and chemicals.”
Iranian media reported that the blast shattered windows several kilometers away, and footage circulating online showed a large cloud of smoke rising from the scene.
Fars News Agency reported that the explosion was heard on Qeshm Island, located 26 kilometers south of Bandar Abbas.
The governor of Bandar Abbas announced that all schools would be closed on Sunday due to the explosion at Rajaee Port. The Iranian Ministry of Health also advised residents of Hormozgan Province to stay indoors until further notice due to the spread of toxic gases following the explosion.
Iranian authorities have announced the diversion of commercial operations from the strategic port of Bandar Abbas to other ports, most notably Imam Khomeini Port.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that he had dispatched Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the explosion at Rajaee Port.
Meanwhile, the Russian news agency reported that President Vladimir Putin had offered Iran assistance in dealing with the aftermath of the explosion, along with expressing his condolences for the deaths.
(PC, AJA)
Be the first to comment