Image Source: topwar.ru
The incident occurred in the south of Iran at the Shahid Rajai seaport, located 23 kilometers from the city of Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf coast. A powerful explosion occurred here early this morning, injuring hundreds of people.
Data on the number of victims varies. Earlier, the Iranian Mehr news agency reported 281 victims. Later, the Fars news agency reported that 406 people were already injured in the explosion. Then the number of victims increased to 516 people. There is no information about the dead.
According to the Iranian media, the explosion occurred at the pier as a result of the ignition of a fuel tank in a warehouse of dangerous goods and chemicals. One of the port buildings, presumably the customs terminal, collapsed.
According to Fars, the explosion was so powerful that it was heard on the island of Qeshm, located about 20 kilometers from the port of Shahid Rajai in the Persian Gulf. Another agency, NourNews, reported that the explosion blew out windows in houses within a radius of several kilometers from the epicenter.
Image Source: topwar.ru
Esmaila Makkizade, deputy head of the Port and Maritime Administration for Hormozgan province, told reporters that the explosion occurred near the pier, and firefighters are now trying to contain the fire. 15 ambulances and four emergency buses left for the scene from nearby towns.
Eyewitnesses have posted footage of a large thick cloud of smoke rising at the site of the explosion in the port near Bandar Abbas.
