A massive explosion was reported at the Shahid Rajaee Port in southern Iran, local media reported on Saturday, as authorities investigate the cause of the blast.
The number of people injured in the explosion rose to more than 500, state media said. Fatalities have yet to be reported.
State television, citing emergency services, reported that “516 people have been injured as hundreds have been transferred to nearby medical centres” in the southern province of Hormozgan, where the Shahid Rajaee port is located.
The explosion was reported at around 12:30am local time (2100GMT/2am PKT) on Saturday.
The strategically important port, located in the southern Hormozgan province, lies around 15 kilometres southwest of the port of Bandar Abbas on the northern shore of the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency, it could have been caused by the explosion of a fuel tank, however, there has been no official statement on it so far.
The report said rapid response teams were immediately dispatched to the site of the incident, with port operations suspended temporarily to allow security and emergency forces to restore order.
There is still no precise information on the number of casualties, but the explosion was so intense that it could have caused extensive damage, local media reported.
The semi-official Fars News Agency quoted local officials in Hormozgan as saying the explosion occurred at a section of the Shahid Rajaee Port dock, adding that efforts are underway to extinguish the fire.
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