Social media videos showed a huge plume of black smoke and a ball of fire rising from the explosion area.
Hundreds of people have been injured after a massive explosion and fire in Bandar Abbas, an Iranian port city more than 1,000 km (620 miles) south of the capital Tehran, according to authorities and state media.
Iranian state media on Saturday reported a “massive explosion” at Shahid Rajay, the country’s largest commercial port in the province of Hormozgan, on Iran’s southern coast.
At least 516 people were injured, according to state media. The injured were transferred to a nearby medical centre.
Television in the Iranian province said the initial report showed negligence in storing flammable materials at the site, but the Tehran Times reported that some vessels were the first cause of the explosion.
Meldad Hassanzadeh, director of the crisis management organization in Hormozgan, told state television that the injured have been moved to medical facilities.
He said safety officials had previously visited the incident site and issued safety warnings.
None #انفجاردربندArtiwane Tea #بندر pic.twitter.com/aal6hkqmhj
– April 26, 2025
(Translation: the moment of explosion at Shahid Rajaei port)
The National Iranian petroleum product refining and distributor issued a statement following the explosion, saying that oil facilities in the region were not affected by the explosion.
“The explosion and fire at Shahid Rajaei Port have no connection to the refineries, fuel tanks, distribution facilities or oil pipelines associated with the company,” the company said.
Previously, Esmaelil Malekizadeh, a civil servant at the Port of Hormozgan and Maritime Bureau, said the explosion occurred near Shahid Rajay port.
Social media videos showed a huge plume of black smoke and a ball of fire rising from the explosion area.
Other videos have damaged buildings and vehicles. Several people were also seen around the area attending the injured and checking for damage to the property.
Shahid Rajaei ports primarily handle container traffic and also have oil tanks and other petrochemical facilities.
In May 2020, Israel was accused of launching a massive cyberattack at the same port, causing disruptions in transport for several days after the facility’s computer systems crashed.
The explosion comes at a sensitive time as Iranian officials continue to talk with US officials about possible new nuclear deals.
