At least 4 dead, hundreds were wounded, after an explosion in the Iranian port, says state television

Government television reported that the massive explosion and fire shook a port in southern Iran on Saturday, killing at least four people and wounding more than 500 others.

The explosion occurred in the port of Shahid Rajai outside Bandar Abbas, a major facility for container shipments of the Islamic Republic, which deals with about 72 million tons of goods annually.

Social media videos showed black smoke after the explosion. Others of the glass from buildings showed a kilometer from the center of the explosion.

Government media footage showed that the injured crowding in at least one hospital, as ambulances arrived when the paramedics rushed to one person on a stretcher.

The authorities did not provide any reason for the explosion hours after hours, although the videos that suggested everything that was ignited in the port were very combustible.

Industrial incidents occur in Iran, especially in its bright oil facilities that are struggling to reach spare parts under international sanctions. But Iranian state television specifically excluded any energy infrastructure that it caused or damaged the explosion.

The regional disaster official, the regional disaster administration, said on Iranian state television that the first two respondents were trying to reach the area while others were trying to evacuate the site.

Hasanzadeh said that the explosion came from containers in the port of Shahid Rajai in the city, without a situation. State TV also reported that there was a construction collapse caused by the explosion, although there were no other immediate details.

The Ministry of the Interior also said it had launched an investigation into the accident.

The port of Shahid Rajai in Hormuzjan Province is about 1050 km southeast of the capital of Iran, Tehran, on the Strait of Harmouz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, through which 20 percent of all passes circulated in oil.

In 2020, an Israeli -suspected Israeli attack targeted the port. It came after Israel said it had thwarted an electronic attack targeting its water infrastructure, which was attributed to Iran.

The explosion occurred, as Iran and the United States met on Saturday in Amman in the third round of negotiations on the nuclear program, which is rapidly advancing in Tehran.