Explosion injures 281 at Iran's Bandar Abbas port
Iran's customs authority said in a statement that Saturday's explosion occurred in the Sina container yard, which is affiliated with the Ports and Maritime Organization [IRIBNEWS/AFP]
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At least 281 people were injured following a massive explosion and fire at the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, officials and state media said on Saturday.
The explosion occurred at the Sina container yard, affiliated with Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization, more than 1,000 kilometres south of Tehran, according to the Iranian Customs Authority.
Emergency services said the injured were transferred to medical facilities across Hormozgan province. Authorities have launched an initial investigation into the cause of the blast.
Iranian state television quoted Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, head of Hormozgan's crisis management agency, as saying that safety officials had previously issued warnings over the storage of flammable materials at the site.
Social media footage showed thick black smoke and large flames rising from the affected area. Other videos showed damage to nearby buildings and vehicles, with people attending to the wounded.
Esmaeil Malekizadeh, an official from the Hormozgan Ports and Maritime Administration, said the explosion occurred near the Shahid Rajaei port dock, a major hub for container traffic and petrochemical storage.
In 2020, Shahid Rajaei port was also the target of a suspected cyberattack attributed to Israel, which disrupted operations for several days.
Authorities said a more detailed investigation into Saturday's incident is ongoing.
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