Explosion at Iranian port: Four dead, hundreds wounded VIDEO/UPDATED

At least four people have been confirmed dead following a powerful explosion at Iran’s Shahid Rajaee Port, located along the Persian Gulf coast.

The head of Iran’s rescue service, speaking live on national television via IRIB, announced the initial casualty figures, Caliber.Az reports.

“So far, the deaths of four people as a result of the explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port have been confirmed,” he stated during the broadcast.

15:55

The number of people injured in the explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port, located on the Persian Gulf coast in southern Iran, has risen to 516, according to emergency medical services spokesperson Babak Yektaparast.

"The total number of injured has reached 516," he was quoted as saying by Tasnim News Agency. The emergency services representative did not provide information regarding any fatalities.

15:31

The number of people injured in the explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port in southern Iran has risen to 406, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

He added that there have been no reports of fatalities from the incident so far. Video footage released by the Iranian state television company shows that emergency services have begun using helicopters to extinguish the fire that erupted at the explosion site.

Earlier, Babak Yektaparast, spokesperson for emergency medical services, had reported that the number of injured in the explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port had reached 281.

“Following the powerful explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas, emergency services were promptly put on full alert and have since transported 281 injured people to hospitals,” he told the IRNA news agency.

According to the correspondent from the Iranian state television company, the explosion was caused by the detonation of the contents of one of the containers at the port. The blast also led to the collapse of one of the port buildings.

15:08

The number of people injured in the explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port near the city of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran has risen to 281, according to emergency services, as reported by Mehr News Agency.

“As a result of the explosion, 281 people were injured,” clarified a representative from the country’s emergency services.

Injured individuals are being transported to local hospitals by ambulance teams. Babak Yektaparast, a spokesperson for the emergency medical services, stated that all operational, medical, and auxiliary units in the region are working in an enhanced mode. Additionally, emergency services in the cities of Jahrom and Lar are on high alert.

Currently, port operations have been suspended, and security and emergency services personnel are on the scene. Fifteen ambulance vehicles have been dispatched from nearby cities to assist in the response.

Earlier, the toll had been reported as 195.

14:45

The number of people injured in the explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port, located on the Persian Gulf coast, has reached 115, according to emergency services.

Earlier, a representative of the Hormozgan Province emergency services had reported 80 injuries, Caliber.Az informs, citing Russian media.

"The number of people transported to medical facilities has reached 80. Forty of them were taken to Shahid Mohammadi Hospital in the city of Bandar Abbas," Tasnim news agency quoted him as saying. Fifteen ambulances and four emergency service buses were dispatched to the scene from nearby cities.

According to a correspondent from the Iranian state broadcaster, the incident was caused by the detonation of the contents of one of the containers at the port. The explosion also led to the collapse of one of the port buildings.

Previously, a representative of the Hormozgan Province emergency services had stated that at least 47 people were injured in the blast.

14:20

At least 47 people were injured after a large explosion rocked Shahid Rajaee Port in the southern Iranian city of Bandar Abbas on April 26, Iranian state media reported.

The blast, which shattered windows several kilometres away and sent a mushroom cloud into the sky, came as Iran entered a third round of nuclear talks with the United States in Oman. The exact cause of the explosion was not immediately clear.

"The cause of this incident was the explosion of several containers stored in the Shahid Rajaee Port wharf area. We are currently evacuating and transferring the injured to medical centres," a local crisis management official told state TV.

footage emerge from the huge explosion that struck the port of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. #Iran #BandarAbbas #Explosion #BreakingNews #IranNews pic.twitter.com/xceZEEdnGk

— Sheikh Md. Hossain (@mzuhossain1) April 26, 2025

Fars news agency reported that 47 people were injured according to initial estimates. Semi-official Tasnim news agency added that port activities had been suspended to extinguish the fire and noted that, given the large number of port employees, "many people were probably injured or even killed in the incident."

Authorities are continuing rescue operations and an investigation is underway.

Shahid Rajaee Port has been targeted before. In 2020, a cyberattack on its computer systems caused significant disruptions. The Washington Post later reported that Israel appeared to have carried out the cyberattack in retaliation for an earlier Iranian operation.

By Vugar Khalilov