Several containers at a key Iranian port in the south of the country blew up in a huge explosion on Saturday, authorities said, with reports now speaking of hundreds of injured and at least 14 dead.
State media said the explosion took place at the port of Shahid Rajaei, more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) south of the capital, Tehran.
Authorities have offered no cause for the explosion. The Interior Ministry said it had launched an investigation into the incident.
The disaster came as Iran was holding a third round of talks on its nuclear program with the US in Oman.
What do we know about the explosion?
Iranian state media have issued frequent updates on the number of injured people, with the latest reports speaking of 750 wounded and 14 dead.
“The cause of this incident was the explosion of several containers stored in the Shahid Rajaei Port wharf area. We are currently evacuating and transferring the injured to medical centers,” a local crisis management official told state TV.
The head of the Red Crescent Society in Hormozgan province, where the port is situated, said four rapid response teams had been sent to the scene after the explosion.
Iranian media said the blast shattered windows within a radius of several kilometers.
State media reported that all the city’s schools and offices were ordered closed on Sunday.
The intensity increased late Saturday after burning for 10 hours, with warnings that the fire could spread to other areas and containers.
What do we know about the port?
Shahid Rajaei is the most advanced container port in Iran, according to the official IRNA news agency, and is located 23 kilometers west of Bandar Abbas, the capital of Hormozgan province.
The port handles some 80 million tons (72.5 million metric tons) of goods a year, according to The Associated Press.
State TV carried a statement from the customs office at the port saying that the explosion likely resulted from a fire in the hazmat and chemical materials storage depot.
Source : https://www.dw.com/en/iran-port-explosion-number-of-casualties-on-the-rise/a-72361709
