More than 400 people were injured after a powerful explosion and fire broke out at a port in Bandar Abbas, a southern city in Iran, on Saturday, according to Iranian state TV.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that many people might have been killed. Authorities quickly declared an emergency in all hospitals in Bandar Abbas.
All operations at Shahid Rajaee port were stopped as firefighters worked to control the fire.
A local official told state TV that the blast happened after several containers exploded at the port’s wharf area. “We are moving the injured to hospitals,” the official said.
The National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company said that the explosion did not affect any energy facilities.
The incident happened just as Iran began its third round of nuclear talks with the US in Oman.
Bandar Abbas, located in Hormozgan province on the northern edge of the Strait of Hormuz, is Iran’s main southern port and an important hub for global oil shipping. The Shahid Rajaee port handles a major share of Iran’s container traffic and can manage large ships.
The explosion was so strong that windows shattered several kilometres away. Videos posted online showed thick smoke rising from the site.
In 2020, the same port was targeted by a cyberattack that caused traffic jams. At the time, *The Washington Post* reported that Israel was likely behind the attack in response to a previous Iranian cyberattack.
