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ARN News Center
27-04-2025
- Politics
- ARN News Center
More than 700 injured in Iran's explosion
A huge blast most likely caused by the explosion of chemical materials killed at least 18 people and injured more than 700 on Saturday at Iran's biggest port, Bandar Abbas, Iranian state media reported. The explosion, which hit the Shahid Rajaee section of the port, occurred as Iran began a third round of nuclear talks with the United States in Oman, but there was no indication of a link between the two events. Hossein Zafari, a spokesperson for Iran's crisis management organisation, appeared to blame the explosion on poor storage of chemicals in containers at Shahid Rajaee. "The cause of the explosion was the chemicals inside the containers," he told Iran's ILNA news agency. "Previously, the Director General of Crisis Management had given warnings to this port during their visits and had pointed out the possibility of danger," Zafari said. However, an Iranian government spokesperson said that although chemicals had likely caused the blast, it was not yet possible to determine the exact reason. President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered an investigation of the incident and sent to the site his interior minister, who said efforts were continuing to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading to other areas. Iran's official news channels aired footage of a vast black and orange cloud of smoke billowing up above the port in the aftermath of the blast, and an office building with its doors blown off and papers and debris strewn around. Located near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, Shahid Rajaee port is Iran's biggest container hub, handling a majority of the country's container goods, according to state media. The blast shattered windows within a radius of several kilometres and was heard in Qeshm, an island 26 kilometres (16 miles) south of the port, Iranian media said. The semi-official Tasnim news agency posted footage of injured men lying on the road being tended to amid scenes of confusion. State TV earlier reported that poor handling of flammable materials was a "contributing factor" to the explosion. A local crisis management official told state TV that the blast took place after several containers stored at the port exploded. As relief workers tried to put out fires, the port's customs officials said trucks were being evacuated from the area and that the container yard where the explosion occurred likely contained "dangerous goods and chemicals". Activities at the port were halted after the blast, officials said. DEADLY INCIDENTS A series of deadly incidents has hit Iranian energy and industrial infrastructure in recent years, with many, like Saturday's blast, blamed on negligence. They have included refinery fires, a gas explosion at a coal mine, and an emergency repair incident at Bandar Abbas that killed one worker in 2023. Iran has blamed some other incidents on its arch-foe Israel, which has carried out attacks on Iranian soil targeting Iran's nuclear programme in recent years and last year bombed the country's air defences. Tehran said Israel was behind a February 2024 attack on Iranian gas pipelines, while in 2020 computers at Shahid Rajaee were hit by a cyberattack. The Washington Post reported that Israel appeared to be behind that incident as retaliation for an earlier Iranian cyberattack. Israel has indicated it is nervous about the outcome of U.S.-Iran talks, demanding a full dismantlement of Iran's nuclear programme. Tehran says the programme is used solely for peaceful purposes, while international observers say it is getting closer to being able to build a bomb. There was no immediate comment from Israel's military or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office when asked for comment on whether Israel was in any way involved in Saturday's explosion. Oil facilities were not affected by the blast on Saturday, Iranian authorities said. The National Iranian Petroleum Refining and Distribution Company said in a statement it had "no connection to refineries, fuel tanks, distribution complexes and oil pipelines."
Observer
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Observer
800 wounded as toll rises to 18 in Iran port blast
The huge explosion and subsequent blaze at a key Iranian port have killed 18 people and left 800 wounded so far, state television said Sunday, updating the death toll from 14. "The fire is under control but not extinguished; the operation continues," said a state TV correspondent at the scene, with thick black smoke visible behind him. The explosion, which hit the Shahid Rajaee section of the port, occurred as Iran began a third round of nuclear talks with the United States in Oman, but there was no indication of a link between the two events. Hossein Zafari, a spokesperson for Iran's crisis management organisation, appeared to blame the explosion on poor storage of chemicals in containers at Shahid Rajaee. "The cause of the explosion was the chemicals inside the containers," he told Iran's ILNA news agency. "Previously, the Director General of Crisis Management had given warnings to this port during their visits and had pointed out the possibility of danger," Zafari said. However, an Iranian government spokesperson said that although chemicals had likely caused the blast, the exact reason could not yet be determined. President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered an investigation of the incident and sent to the site his interior minister, who said efforts were continuing to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading to other areas. Iran's official news channels aired footage of a vast black and orange cloud of smoke billowing up above the port in the aftermath of the blast, and an office building with its doors blown off and papers and debris strewn around. According to state media, located near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, Shahid Rajaee port is Iran's biggest container hub, handling most of the country's container goods. The blast shattered windows within a radius of several kilometres and was heard in Qeshm, an island 26 kilometres (16 miles) south of the port, Iranian media said. The semi-official Tasnim news agency posted footage of injured men lying on the road being tended to amid scenes of confusion. State TV earlier reported that poor handling of flammable materials was a "contributing factor" to the explosion. A local crisis management official told state TV that the blast took place after several containers stored at the port exploded. As relief workers tried to put out fires, the port's customs officials said trucks were being evacuated from the area and that the container yard where the explosion occurred likely contained "dangerous goods and chemicals". Activities at the port were halted after the blast, officials said.
Business Recorder
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Suspected chemical blast at Iran's Bandar Abbas port kills at least 18, injures hundreds
DUBAI: A huge blast probably caused by the explosion of chemical materials killed at least 18 people and injured more than 700 on Saturday at Iran's biggest port, Bandar Abbas, Iranian state media reported. The explosion, which hit the Shahid Rajaee section of the port, occurred as Iran began a third round of nuclear talks with the United States in Oman, but there was no indication of a link between the two events. Hossein Zafari, a spokesperson for Iran's crisis management organisation, appeared to blame the explosion on poor storage of chemicals in containers at Shahid Rajaee. 'The cause of the explosion was the chemicals inside the containers,' he told Iran's ILNA news agency. 'Previously, the Director General of Crisis Management had given warnings to this port during their visits and had pointed out the possibility of danger,' Zafari said. However, an Iranian government spokesperson said that although chemicals had likely caused the blast, it was not yet possible to determine the exact reason. President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered an investigation of the incident and sent to the site his interior minister, who said efforts were continuing to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading to other areas. Suspected chemical blast at Iran's Bandar Abbas kills 4, injures hundreds Iran's official news channels aired footage of a vast black and orange cloud of smoke billowing up above the port in the aftermath of the blast, and an office building with its doors blown off and papers and debris strewn around. Located near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, Shahid Rajaee port is Iran's biggest container hub, handling a majority of the country's container goods, according to state media. The blast shattered windows within a radius of several kilometres and was heard in Qeshm, an island 26 kilometres (16 miles) south of the port, Iranian media said. The semi-official Tasnim news agency posted footage of injured men lying on the road being tended to amid scenes of confusion. State TV earlier reported that poor handling of flammable materials was a 'contributing factor' to the explosion. A local crisis management official told state TV that the blast took place after several containers stored at the port exploded. As relief workers tried to put out fires, the port's customs officials said trucks were being evacuated from the area and that the container yard where the explosion occurred likely contained 'dangerous goods and chemicals'. Activities at the port were halted after the blast, officials said. Deadly incidents A series of deadly incidents has hit Iranian energy and industrial infrastructure in recent years, with many, like Saturday's blast, blamed on negligence. They have included refinery fires, a gas explosion at a coal mine, and an emergency repair incident at Bandar Abbas that killed one worker in 2023. Iran has blamed some other incidents on its arch-foe Israel, which has carried out attacks on Iranian soil targeting Iran's nuclear programme in recent years and last year bombed the country's air defences. Tehran said Israel was behind a February 2024 attack on Iranian gas pipelines, while in 2020 computers at Shahid Rajaee were hit by a cyberattack. Fire rages after blast at Iran port kills 8, injures hundreds The Washington Post reported that Israel appeared to be behind that incident as retaliation for an earlier Iranian cyberattack. Israel has indicated it is nervous about the outcome of US-Iran talks, demanding a full dismantlement of Iran's nuclear programme. Tehran says the programme is used solely for peaceful purposes, while international observers say it is getting closer to being able to build a bomb. There was no immediate comment from Israel's military or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office when asked for comment on whether Israel was in any way involved in Saturday's explosion. Oil facilities were not affected by the blast on Saturday, Iranian authorities said. The National Iranian Petroleum Refining and Distribution Company said in a statement it had 'no connection to refineries, fuel tanks, distribution complexes and oil pipelines.'
Express Tribune
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Iran port blast death toll rises to 18, over 800 injured
Listen to article The death toll from a massive explosion and fire at a major Iranian port has climbed to 18, with over 800 people injured, Iranian state television reported on Sunday. The blast occurred on Saturday at the Sina container yard, part of the key Shahid Rajaei port in Bandar Abbas, located more than 1,000 kilometres south of Tehran. Emergency services confirmed the fire was now "under control but not extinguished," with thick black smoke still rising from the site, according to a state TV correspondent reporting live from the scene. Authorities had initially reported 14 deaths before revising the figure. Most of the injured have been transferred to local hospitals for treatment, officials said. The explosion, which hit the Shahid Rajaee section of the port, occurred as Iran began a third round of nuclear talks with the United States in Oman, but there was no immediate indication of a link between the two events. Hossein Zafari, a spokesperson for Iran's crisis management organisation, appeared to blame the explosion on poor storage of chemicals in containers at Shahid Rajaee. "The cause of the explosion was the chemicals inside the containers," he told Iran's ILNA news agency. "Previously, the Director General of Crisis Management had given warnings to this port during their visits and had pointed out the possibility of danger," Zafari said. An Iranian government spokesperson, however, said that although chemicals had likely caused the blast, it was not yet possible to determine the exact reason. A series of deadly incidents has hit Iranian energy and industrial infrastructure in recent years, with many, like Saturday's blast, blamed on negligence. They have included refinery fires, a gas explosion at a coal mine, and an emergency repair incident at Bandar Abbas that killed one worker in 2023. Iran has blamed some other incidents on its arch-foe Israel, which has carried out attacks on Iranian soil targeting Iran's nuclear programme in recent years and last year bombed the country's air defences. Tehran said Israel was behind a February 2024 attack on Iranian gas pipelines, while in 2020 computers at Shahid Rajaee were hit by a cyberattack. The Washington Post reported that Israel appeared to be behind that incident as retaliation for an earlier Iranian cyberattack. Israel has indicated it is nervous about the outcome of U.S.-Iran talks, demanding a full dismantlement of Iran's nuclear programme. Tehran says the programme is used solely for peaceful purposes, while international observers say it is getting closer to being able to build a bomb. There was no immediate comment from Israel's military or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office when asked for comment on whether Israel was in any way involved in Saturday's explosion. Oil facilities were not affected by the blast on Saturday, Iranian authorities said. The National Iranian Petroleum Refining and Distribution Company said in a statement it had "no connection to refineries, fuel tanks, distribution complexes and oil pipelines."
Indian Express
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
18 killed in blast at Iran's Bandar Abbas port: What we know so far
A massive explosion and fire, probably caused by a shipment of a chemical ingredient used to make missile propellant, rocked Iran's biggest port Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on Saturday, killing at least 18 people and injuring over 750 others, Reuters reported. The explosion hit the Shahid Rajaee section of the port. The tragedy struck at a time when Iran met United States for its third round of nuclear talks in Oman. It was reported that at least six people were missing after the explosion. According to a spokesperson of Iran's crisis management organisation Hossein Zafari, the blast probably took place due to poor storage facilities of chemicals in containers at Shahid Rajaee section of Bandar Abbas port. 'Previously, the Director General of Crisis Management had given warnings to this port during their visits and had pointed out the possibility of danger,' Reuters quoted Zafari as saying. However, an Iranian government spokesperson declined to confirm if chemicals were the exact reason behind the blast at the port. In this photo provided by Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) firefighters work as black smoke rises in the sky after a massive explosion rocked a port near the southern city of Bandar Abbas, Iran. (Mohammad Rasoul Moradi/IRNA via AP) Iran's port received chemical for missile fuel A private security firm Ambrey has said that Bandar Abbas port in Iran took a shipment of missile fuel chemical in March, Associated Press reported. China had shipped ammonium perchlorate by two vessels to Iran and the missile fuel chemical was part of that shipment. The chemical, which is generally used to make solid propellant for rockets, was poised to refill Iran's missile stocks which had depleted during its hostilities with Israel. A video shared on social media shows the moment a huge explosion struck Rajaei port in southern Iran and the powerful blast wave that followed. — Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) April 26, 2025 'The fire was reportedly the result of improper handling of a shipment of solid fuel intended for use in Iranian ballistic missiles,' private security firm Ambrey said. However, Iran has not acknowledged receipt of any shipment related to it. Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered an investigation into the incident and asked the Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni to visit the blast-torn site. Efforts were being made to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading to other areas, he assured.
