A huge explosion tore through Shahid Rajaee, Iran’s largest commercial port, on Saturday, killing at least eight people and injuring more than 750 others, authorities said.
The blast, which struck just before noon local time (0830 GMT) in the southern province of Hormozgan, sparked widespread fires that raged for more than 10 hours, according to state media.
“The intensity of the fire in Shahid Rajaee Port has increased and it may spread to other areas and containers,” state television reported, as emergency crews battled strong winds that hampered firefighting efforts.
The cause of the explosion was not immediately known. However, the port’s customs office, cited by state TV, indicated it likely stemmed from a fire in a depot storing hazardous and chemical materials.
Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, head of Hormozgan’s crisis management authority, confirmed that “the cause of the incident was the explosion of several containers stored in the Shahid Rajaee Port wharf area.”
Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, who visited the scene, provided the updated casualty figures. “This incident has left eight people dead and 750 injured. Resources from other cities and Tehran have been deployed… we hope to extinguish the fire in the coming hours,” Momeni told state television.
Images from the official IRNA news agency showed scenes of devastation, with rescuers and survivors navigating debris-strewn streets. One image showed a truck trailer in flames beside a crushed, blood-stained vehicle, while helicopters doused the area with water to control towering plumes of black smoke.
Hundreds of the injured were transported to nearby medical centres, state TV reported. The provincial blood transfusion service issued an urgent appeal for donations.
In a video circulating on social media — which AFP could not independently verify — a man recording the aftermath said: “My truck was completely destroyed and my friend died,” as the camera captured a lifeless body lying on the ground.
Saturday marks the beginning of the working week in Iran, meaning the port was likely operating at full capacity at the time of the explosion.
Three Chinese nationals were among the injured, but only sustained minor injuries, according to China’s state broadcaster CCTV, citing its consulate in Bandar Abbas.
President Masoud Pezeshkian offered condolences to the victims’ families and ordered a full investigation, assigning Interior Minister Momeni to oversee the inquiry.
The shockwave from the blast was felt up to 50 kilometres away, reported Fars news agency, while Tasnim news agency said that “most of the port buildings were severely damaged.”
The United Arab Emirates’ foreign ministry expressed “solidarity with Iran” following the tragedy.
Meanwhile, the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company moved to reassure the public, stating that “the explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port has no link to refineries, fuel tanks, distribution complexes or oil pipelines,” and that oil facilities in Bandar Abbas continue to operate normally.
In response to the disaster, authorities ordered all schools, offices, and universities in Bandar Abbas — 23 kilometres east of the port — to close on Sunday due to concerns about heavy smoke spreading through the region.
Located over 1,000 kilometres south of Tehran near the strategic Strait of Hormuz — a key route for global oil supplies — Shahid Rajaee is Iran’s most advanced container port, according to IRNA.
The rare explosion comes just months after Iran’s deadliest workplace accident in recent years, when a coal mine gas leak in Tabas killed more than 50 miners in September.
The incident also coincided with sensitive diplomatic talks between Iranian and US delegations in Oman regarding Tehran’s nuclear programme, during which reported progress was made.