An explosion at the largest commercial port in southern Iran has killed at least 25 people and injured hundreds, Iranian media reported today with a new toll from the disaster.
"At least 25 people have been killed," the Tasnim news agency reported, citing the head of the judiciary in the southern province of Hormozgan, where the Shahid Rajaee port is located.
State television earlier today reported that at least 18 people had died and 800 were injured. A television journalist reported that "the fire is under control but not yet extinguished," reporting from the scene of the incident.
The explosion and subsequent fire occurred around noon yesterday at the important commercial port of Shahid Rajaee near the large city of Bandar Abbas, which overlooks the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil production passes.
President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered an investigation into the cause of the disaster.
It was likely caused by a fire in a warehouse of hazardous and chemical substances, according to a statement on state television.
The New York Times reported that the explosion was caused by sodium perchlorate, a substance used in solid rocket fuel. The American newspaper cited an unnamed source in the Revolutionary Guard, Iran's ideological army.
Fire crews battled the fire throughout the night, and it also engulfed numerous containers in the port.
The shock wave from the explosion was so strong that most buildings in the port were severely damaged, the Tasnim news agency reported.
The National Oil Distribution Company, however, said that no oil installations were damaged and that they were operating "normally."
Offices and schools were closed in Bandar Abbas, a city of about 650.000 people, on Monday as smoke continued to billow into the surrounding area, an official said. The health ministry said in a statement that people should stay home until further notice and that those who must go out should wear masks.
Yesterday's explosion occurred at a time when Iranian and American delegations were holding the third round of negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issue in Oman.
The port is located more than 1.000 kilometers south of the capital Tehran.
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