Iran port explosion update: 14 dead, 750 injured
What's the story
A devastating explosion at the Shahid Rajaee Port in southern Iran has killed at least 14 people and injured another 750. The blast triggered a massive fire fanned by strong winds and caused thick black smoke to spread far and wide. As a safety precaution, schools and offices in Bandar Abbas, situated over 20km away from the port, were ordered shut.
Impact
Explosion felt 50km away, affected buildings
The blast was so strong that it was felt and heard 50km away from the port. The shockwave damaged most of the port's structures. Local media channels aired visuals of helicopters spraying water on shipping containers surrounded by thick clouds of smoke, as survivors made their way through debris-littered streets in the vicinity.
Cause
Investigation underway, possible cause identified
A probe is underway to ascertain the cause of the blaze. State television quoted the customs office at the port as saying the fire started from a storage depot for hazardous and chemical materials. The NYT also quoted an anonymous source associated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who said sodium perchlorate, a key ingredient in solid missile fuel, caused the explosion.
Response
Medical facilities on high alert, oil facilities unaffected
Following the blast, hundreds of wounded were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. The provincial blood transfusion center has made an urgent appeal for donations in view of the high casualties. However, oil facilities in Bandar Abbas are functioning normally despite the blast. The National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company said, "The explosion has no connection to refineries, fuel tanks, distribution complexes or oil pipelines."
Twitter Post
Footage of fire
A massive explosion, possibly caused by ammonium nitrate the same highly-explosive chemical which caused the Beirut explosion in 2020, has rocked the port of Bandar Abbas this morning in Southern Iran. Iranian media is reporting over 400 injures, while the death toll is still… pic.twitter.com/TrVkR70Zzy
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) April 26, 2025