Cover image: ©Associated Press
The death toll has risen to at least 70, with more than 1,000 injured, following the explosion at the Port of Shahid Rajaee in Bandar Abbas, Iran.
The Associated Press (AP) reported that satellite imagery showed the explosion occurred near Sina’s terminal, shredding nearby facilities and stacked containers. The area most affected was operated by the Sina Marine and Port Services Development Company, which is part of Bonyad Mostazafan, a charitable foundation overseen by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s office.
According to the BBC, Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni told state media that the explosion was due to “shortcomings, including noncompliance with safety precautions and negligence”.
Customs officials said the cargo that ignited had not been properly registered or declared. “Some individuals deemed responsible” have reportedly been summoned for questioning.
Sina’s CEO, Saeed Jafari, told Iran’s ILNA news agency: “The incident happened following a false statement about the dangerous goods and delivering it without documents and tags”.
Iran’s Defence Ministry denied that the cargo involved was military in nature. Spokesman Brig Gen Reza Talai-Nik said, “There were and are no import or export of fuel shipments or cargo for military use in the vicinity of the incident,” and accused foreign media of spreading “fake news”.
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AP cited Ambrey Intelligence, a maritime risk consultancy, stating that the port had recently received sodium perchlorate, a solid compound used in missile fuel, and said the blast was “reportedly the result of improper handling”.
No official has confirmed what exactly caused the explosion. A reddish cloud visible before the blast led some experts to speculate about the presence of ammonium or sodium perchlorate.
Professor Andrea Sella of University College London told AP, “The surprising thing is the fact that this cargo, given that it’s a highly energetic material […] was sitting right in the middle of the port warehousing area.”
Authorities have restricted access to the site, and clean-up operations could take up to two weeks, officials told BBC News.
