A massive explosion and fire has struck the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, more than 1,000km (620 miles) south of capital Tehran, state media reports.
“The explosion occurred in a part of the Shahid Rajaee port dock, and we are extinguishing the fire,” state television quoted senior Hormozgan Ports and Maritime Administration official Esmaeil Malekizadeh as saying on Saturday.
Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, director of Hormozgan province’s crisis management organisation, told state television that the injured have been transferred to medical facilities, but did not say how many were hurt.
Social media videos showed a huge plume of black smoke rising from the area of the explosion.
Other social media videos showed damaged to buildings and vehicles. Several people were also seen around the area checking the damage to the properties.
Shahid Rajaei port mainly handles container traffic and also has oil tanks and other petrochemical facilities.
More to come…
