Photo: Planet Labs PBC
As a result of a powerful explosion in the port of Shahid Rajai in the Iranian city of Bandar Abbas, the death toll has risen to at least 65 people, and the number of injured has exceeded 1,000. This is reported by the Associated Press agency with reference to local authorities.
The governor of Hormozgan Province, Mohammad Ashouri Taziani, officially confirmed the new casualty figures. Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni said that the fire, which lasted several days, was extinguished only on Monday.
Planet Labs PBC satellite imagery analysed by AP shows the widespread destruction caused by the explosion. The Iranian authorities have not yet provided a clear explanation of the cause of the tragedy. At the same time, the private security company Ambrey claims that a shipment of ammonium perchlorate from China, a chemical used to produce solid rocket fuel, was delivered to the port in March.
According to Ambrey, these chemicals were to replenish Iran’s missile stockpile, which was depleted by recent attacks on Israel. Iran’s military leadership has denied receiving such cargo.
The explosion occurred on 26 April in a region critical to the global oil market near the Strait of Hormuz, the route for a fifth of the world’s oil exports. According to the Iranian Customs Service, the explosion could have been caused by a fire at a hazardous chemical warehouse.
The tragedy was one of the largest incidents in Iran’s port infrastructure in recent years.
