Iran: Port blast kills four and wounds hundreds
A large explosion and fire at the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas killed four people and wounded hundreds on Saturday, according to local news reports.
The blast occurred in the Sina container yard, which is affiliated with the Ports and Maritime Organisation, at Shahid Rajaee port, approximately 1,000km south of Tehran.
Four people were killed and 500 more wounded, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said.
Hossein Zafari, a spokesperson for Iran's crisis management organisation, told ILNA news agency: "The cause of the explosion was the chemicals inside the containers."
Video footage posted online showed smoke and flames rising from the area of the explosion, along with damaged buildings and vehicles.
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The port mainly handles container traffic and hosts oil tanks and other petrochemical facilities.
Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, Hormozgan province's crisis management chief, said the explosion was triggered by "the detonation of several stored containers in the port yard".
The National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company said: "The explosion had no connection with the refineries, fuel storage tanks, or oil pipelines related to this company in the area". It added that "operations at facilities in Bandar Abbas are continuing without interruption."
Iran's customs authority stated that hazardous goods and chemicals were the likely cause of the blast.
The Iranian emergency service said 40 of the injured had been transferred to Shahid Mohammadi Hospital.
A medical evacuation helicopter, 15 ambulances and four ambulance buses were deployed to the scene.
middleeasteye.net