Latest news with #BabakMahmoudi
Daily Tribune
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
Major blast at south Iran port kills four, injures hundreds
A powerful explosion ripped through a key port in southern Iran yesterday, killing four people and injuring more than 500, state media said. Although the cause of the blast was not immediately clear, the customs office at the port said in a statement carried by state TV that it probably resulted from a fire that broke out at the hazmat and chemical materials storage depot. State media reported a 'massive explosion' at Shahid Rajaee, the country's largest commercial port, located in Hormozgan province on Iran's southern coast. Footage broadcast on state TV showed thick columns of black smoke billowing from the port area, where many containers are stored, with helicopters deployed to fight the fire. Citing local emergency services, state TV reported that at least 516 people were injured and 'hundreds have been transferred to nearby medical centres'. 'Unfortunately, at least four deaths have been confirmed by rescuers,' the head of the Red Crescent Society's Relief and Rescue Organisation, Babak Mahmoudi, later told the broadcaster. State TV had quoted Esmaeil Malekizadeh, a regional port official, as saying authorities were working to put out a fire at the facility. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed sympathy for the victims of the deadly blast, adding he had 'issued an order to investigate the situation and the causes', dispatching Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni to the area to look into the incident. Shahid Rajaee, more than 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) south of the capital Tehran, is the most advanced container port in Iran, according to the official IRNA news agency. It is located 23 kilometres west of Bandar Abbas, the Hormozgan provincial capital, and north of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of world oil output passes.
Jordan Times
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Jordan expresses solidarity with Iran following Bandar Abbas Port explosion
Thick, black smoke rises as rescuers arrive near the source of an explosion at the Shahid Rajaee Port dock southwest of Bandar Abbas in the Iranian province of Hormozgan on Saturday (AFP photo) AMMAN — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed the Kingdom's condolences and sympathies to Iran for the victims of the explosion at Shahid Rajaei Port in Bandar Abbas. The ministry, in a statement on Saturday, expressed Jordan's 'sympathies and full solidarity with the friendly Islamic Republic of Iran and its condolences to the families of the victims'. A powerful explosion ripped through a key port in southern Iran on Saturday, killing four people and injuring more than 500, state media said. Although the cause of the blast was not immediately clear, the customs office at the port said in a statement carried by state TV that it probably resulted from a fire that broke out at the hazmat and chemical materials storage depot, AFP reported. State media reported a "massive explosion" at Shahid Rajaee, the country's largest commercial port, located in Hormozgan province on Iran's southern coast. Footage broadcast on state TV showed thick columns of black smoke billowing from the port area, where many containers are stored, with helicopters deployed to fight the fire. Citing local emergency services, state TV reported that at least 516 people were injured and "hundreds have been transferred to nearby medical centres". "Unfortunately, at least four deaths have been confirmed by rescuers," the head of the Red Crescent Society's Relief and Rescue Organisation, Babak Mahmoudi, later told the broadcaster. State TV had quoted Esmaeil Malekizadeh, a regional port official, as saying authorities were working to put out a fire at the facility. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed sympathy for the victims of the deadly blast, adding he had "issued an order to investigate the situation and the causes", dispatching Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni to the area to look into the incident, according to AFP. Shahid Rajaee, more than 1,000 kilometres south of the capital Tehran, is the most advanced container port in Iran, according to the official IRNA news agency. It is located 23 kilometres west of Bandar Abbas, the Hormozgan provincial capital, and north of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of world oil output passes. Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, head of Hormozgan province's crisis management authority, told state TV that 'the cause of this incident was the explosion of several containers stored in the Shahid Rajaee Port wharf area'. 'We are currently evacuating and transporting the injured to nearby medical centres,' he said. The explosion was so powerful that it could be felt and heard about 50 kilometres away, Fars news agency reported, with residents saying they could feel the ground shake even at a distance. 'The shockwave was so strong that most of the port buildings were severely damaged,' Tasnim news agency reported. The stateowned National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company said in a statement carried by local media that 'the explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port has no connection to refineries, fuel tanks, distribution complexes or oil pipelines'. It added that 'Bandar Abbas oil facilities are currently operating without interruption'. The rare explosion comes several months after one of Iran's dead-liest work accidents in years. The coal mine blast in September, caused by a gas leak, killed more than 50 people in Tabas in Iran's east. Saturday's explosion also came as delegations from Iran and the United States were meeting in Oman for high-level talks on Tehran's nuclear programme.
Gulf Insider
26-04-2025
- Gulf Insider
Iran Port Explosion: At Least Five Killed, More Than 500 Injured In Major Blast
A powerful explosion ripped through a key port in southern Iran on Saturday, killing five people and injuring more than 500, state media said. Although the cause of the blast was not immediately clear, the port's customs office said in a statement carried by state TV that it probably resulted from a fire that broke out at the hazmat and chemical materials storage depot. State media reported a 'massive explosion' at Shahid Rajaee, the country's largest commercial port, located in Hormozgan province on the southern coast. Footage on state TV showed thick columns of black smoke billowing from the port where many containers are stored, with helicopters deployed to fight the flames. Citing local emergency services, state TV reported that at least 516 people were injured and 'hundreds have been transferred to nearby medical centres'. 'Unfortunately, at least four deaths have been confirmed by rescuers,' the head of the Red Crescent Society's Relief and Rescue Organisation, Babak Mahmoudi, later told the broadcaster. Three Chinese nationals were 'lightly injured', China's state broadcaster CCTV reported, citing its Bandar Abbas consulate. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed sympathy for the victims of the deadly blast, adding he had 'issued an order to investigate the situation and the causes', sending Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni to look into the incident. Images from the official IRNA news agency showed rescuers and survivors walking along a wide boulevard carpeted with debris. Flames engulfed a truck trailer and blood stained the side of a crushed car. Containers stacked at the port appeared to have buckled in the blast. Shahid Rajaee, more than 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) south of Tehran, is Iran's most advanced container port, according to IRNA. It is located 23 kilometres west of Bandar Abbas, the Hormozgan provincial capital, and near the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of world oil output passes. Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, head of the province's crisis management authority, told state TV that 'the cause of this incident was the explosion of several containers stored in the Shahid Rajaee Port wharf area'. 'We are currently evacuating and transporting the injured to nearby medical centres,' he said. The explosion was so powerful that it was felt and heard about 50 kilometres away, Fars news agency reported, with residents saying they could feel the ground shake even at a distance. 'The shockwave was so strong that most of the port buildings were severely damaged,' Tasnim news agency reported. The state-owned National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company said in a statement carried by local media that 'the explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port has no connection to refineries, fuel tanks, distribution complexes or oil pipelines'. It added that 'Bandar Abbas oil facilities are currently operating without interruption'. The rare explosion comes several months after one of Iran's deadliest work accidents in years. The coal mine blast in September, caused by a gas leak, killed more than 50 people at Tabas in the east of the country. Saturday's explosion also came as Iranian and US delegations met in Oman for high-level talks on Tehran's nuclear programme.
Jordan Times
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Major blast at south Iran port kills 4, injures hundreds
Thick, black smoke rises as rescuers arrive near the source of an explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port dock southwest of Bandar Abbas in the Iranian province of Hormozgan on April 26, 2025 (AFP photo) TEHRAN — A powerful explosion ripped through a key port in southern Iran on Saturday, killing four people and injuring more than 500, state media said. Although the cause of the blast was not immediately clear, the customs office at the port said in a statement carried by state TV that it probably resulted from a fire that broke out at the hazmat and chemical materials storage depot. State media reported a "massive explosion" at Shahid Rajaee, the country's largest commercial port, located in Hormozgan province on Iran's southern coast. Footage broadcast on state TV showed thick columns of black smoke billowing from the port area, where many containers are stored, with helicopters deployed to fight the fire. Citing local emergency services, state TV reported that at least 516 people were injured and "hundreds have been transferred to nearby medical centres". "Unfortunately, at least four deaths have been confirmed by rescuers," the head of the Red Crescent Society's Relief and Rescue Organisation, Babak Mahmoudi, later told the broadcaster. State TV had quoted Esmaeil Malekizadeh, a regional port official, as saying authorities were working to put out a fire at the facility. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed sympathy for the victims of the deadly blast, adding he had "issued an order to investigate the situation and the causes", dispatching Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni to the area to look into the incident. Shahid Rajaee, more than 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) south of the capital Tehran, is the most advanced container port in Iran, according to the official IRNA news agency. It is located 23 kilometres west of Bandar Abbas, the Hormozgan provincial capital, and north of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of world oil output passes. Containers exploded Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, head of Hormozgan province's crisis management authority, told state TV that "the cause of this incident was the explosion of several containers stored in the Shahid Rajaee Port wharf area". "We are currently evacuating and transporting the injured to nearby medical centres," he said. The explosion was so powerful that it could be felt and heard about 50 kilometres away, Fars news agency reported, with residents saying they could feel the ground shake even at a distance. "The shockwave was so strong that most of the port buildings were severely damaged," Tasnim news agency reported. The state-owned National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company said in a statement carried by local media that "the explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port has no connection to refineries, fuel tanks, distribution complexes or oil pipelines". It added that "Bandar Abbas oil facilities are currently operating without interruption". The rare explosion comes several months after one of Iran's deadliest work accidents in years. The coal mine blast in September, caused by a gas leak, killed more than 50 people in Tabas in Iran's east. Saturday's explosion also came as delegations from Iran and the United States were meeting in Oman for high-level talks on Tehran's nuclear programme. Page 2
France 24
26-04-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Several killed, more than 500 injured in massive blast in Iranian port city
A massive explosion and fire at a port in southern Iran has killed four people, authorities said Saturday. Babak Mahmoudi, the head of the country's rescue organization, made the announcement on state television. At least 516 others have been injured in the blast at the Shahid Rajaei port just outside of Bandar Abbas, a major facility for container shipments for the Islamic Republic that handles some 80 million tons (72.5 million metric tons) of goods a year. Social media videos showed black billowing smoke after the blast. Others showed glass blown out of buildings kilometers (miles) away from the epicenter of the explosion. State media footage showed the injured crowding into at least one hospital, with ambulances arriving as medics rushed one person by on a stretcher. Authorities offered no cause for the explosion hours later, though videos suggested whatever ignited at the port was highly combustible. Industrial accidents happen in Iran, particularly at its aging oil facilities that struggle for access to parts under international sanctions. But Iranian state TV specifically ruled out any energy infrastructure as causing or being damaged in the blast. Mehrdad Hasanzadeh, a provincial disaster management official, told Iranian state TV that first responders were trying to reach the area while others were attempting to evacuate the site. Hasanzadeh said the blast came from containers at Shahid Rajaei port in the city, without elaborating. State TV also reported there had been a building collapse caused by the explosion, though there were no immediate other details offered. The Interior Ministry also said it launched an investigation into the incident. Shahid Rajaei port in Hormozgan province is some 1,050 kilometers (650 miles) southeast of Iran's capital, Tehran, on the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20 percent of all oil traded passes. In 2020, a suspected Israeli cyberattack targeted the port. It came after Israel said it thwarted a cyberattack targeting its water infrastructure, which it attributed to Iran. The blast happened as Iran and the United States met Saturday in Oman for the third round of negotiations over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program.
