Iranian port explosion death toll rises to 40 | World News
The death toll from a major explosion at a southern Iranian port has risen to at least 40, according to the provincial governor Mohammad Ashouri, Associated Press (AP) reported.
The blast happened on Saturday at the Shahid Rajaei port near Bandar Abbas, injuring around 1,000 people. Iranian state television shared the new figures, adding that only 190 of the injured are still in hospital.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visited some of the wounded and said during a meeting aired on state TV, “We have to find out why it happened.” Authorities said the fire was under control, and hoped it would be fully put out late Sunday.
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A revolutionary Guard firefighting airtanker drops water on the fire. (AP)
Dramatic new videos showed a deep crater surrounded smoke, smashed containers, and burnt-out trucks and cars. The smoke was so dangerous that schools and businesses near had to be closed.
Private security company Ambrey believes the explosion may be linked to a shipment of ammonium perchlorate, a chemical used to make missile fuel, which arrived from China in March. Ambrey suggested that the blast was “the result of improper handling of a shipment of solid fuel intended for use in Iranian ballic missiles.”
However, Iran’s military rejected this claim. Defence Minry spokesman General Reza Talaeinik told state television, “No sort of imported and exporting consignment for fuel or military application was (or) is in the site of the port.” He called foreign reports about missile fuel being involved “baseless” but did not explain what caused the explosion.
Firefighters try to extinguish the fire, Sunday, April 27, 2025, after a massive explosion and fire rocked a port near the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, Iran. (AP)
It is still unclear why, if chemicals were present, they were not moved quickly especially after the devastating Beirut port explosion in 2020. That disaster was caused stored ammonium nitrate and killed over 200 people.Story continues below this ad
Videos from the scene showed reddish smoke before the blast, suggesting that a chemical compound was involved, similar to what happened in Beirut.
In a show of support, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent emergency aircraft to Bandar Abbas to ass with recovery efforts, AP reported, citing Iran’s state news agency IRNA.
The provincial governor has announced three days of mourning for the victims.
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