Iran port explosion: death toll increases to 28
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Tehran: A massive explosion at a port in Iran's southern province of Hormozgan on Saturday killed at least 28 people and injured 800 more, according to media reports Sunday.
The actual reason for the catastrophe has yet to be determined, according to Xinhua, citing official news agency IRNA.
The explosion occurred at the Port of Shahid Rajaee in the provincial capital Bandar Abbas, after which rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the scene, and all port activities were suspended, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
In remarks to the semi-official Fars news agency on Sunday, Jalal Maleki, spokesman of the Tehran Fire Department, said the massive fire resulting from the blast had been almost contained, although there were still scattered flames, which he described as "not worrisome."
Ahmad Pouyafar, governor of Bandar Abbas, announced on Saturday that all educational centres across the city would be closed on Sunday due to the explosion and consequent air pollution.
Hossein Zafari, spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Organization, told Fars that chemical materials in a container at the port may have caused the blast.
However, the Iranian government's spokeswoman, Fatemeh Mohajerani, warned against any "hasty speculations" about the cause of the incident before relevant authorities complete the investigations.
What had been confirmed so far was that there were containers, probably with chemical materials, at a corner of the port, she added.
In a post on X, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian extended sympathy to the victims of the explosion, announcing that he had issued a directive for the investigation of the blast and its cause.
He added that Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni had been dispatched to the province to ensure necessary coordination and address the condition of the injured.
Following the incident, many countries, as well as international organisations and groups, extended condolences to the Iranian people and government.
With inputs from IANS