Fire at Iran’s Bandar Abbas port extinguished, death toll rises to 70

Iranian authorities have confirmed that the massive fire at Shahid Rajaee Port in the southern city of Bandar Abbas has been fully extinguished, as the death toll from the devastating explosion and subsequent blaze has climbed to 70.

Hossein Zafari, spokesperson for Iran’s National Disaster Management Organisation (NDMO), announced on April 28 that firefighting operations had been completed.

“Cleanup and debris removal operations will continue in the coming days,” Zafari said, Caliber.Az reports, citing Iranian media.

The explosion, which struck the port on April 26, resulted in a catastrophic fire that caused extensive structural damage and temporarily halted port operations. The blast originated from several containers located in the wharf area of Shahid Rajaee Port and is believed to have involved hazardous materials or chemicals, though authorities have not yet provided final confirmation of the cause.

The force of the explosion produced a massive plume of black smoke visible from kilometres away and triggered a large-scale emergency response.

Zafari reported that a total of 1,210 people were injured in the incident. Of those, 1,072 have been treated and discharged from hospitals, while 138 individuals remain under medical care.

In response to the tragedy, the Iranian government declared a national day of mourning on April 28 and extended condolences to the families of the victims. The port, located in Hormozgan province, is one of Iran’s key maritime trade hubs.

Authorities have pledged a full investigation into the incident and are continuing to assess the full extent of damage to infrastructure and port operations.

By Tamilla Hasanova