At least four people were killed and more than 500 injured in a powerful explosion on Saturday that ripped through vital Shahid Rajaee Port near Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on Saturday
"Unfortunately, at least four deaths have been confirmed by rescuers," the head of the Red Crescent Society's Relief and Rescue Organization, Babak Mahmoudi, told state TV.
State television, citing emergency services, reported that "516 people have been injured as hundreds have been transferred to nearby medical centres" in the southern province of Hormozgan, where the Shahid Rajaee port is located, AFP reported.
The Iranian state news agency IRNA confirmed the huge explosion at the port, noting significant casualties and widespread destruction in surrounding areas, including impacts on industries in western Bandar Abbas. Initial reports suggested a gas tanker may have triggered the blast, though the cause remains unconfirmed.
Online videos captured a thick plume of smoke rising from the scene. A spokesperson for the ambulance services reported that the 516 injured were swiftly transported to hospitals across the province. The head of Hormozgan Province’s Red Crescent Society said rapid response teams were deployed immediately, and investigations are ongoing to determine the explosion's cause.