Explosion at Iranian port: death toll rises to 40, over 1,200 injured, fire still raging (updated)
The death toll from a massive explosion in the largest commercial port of Shahid Rajai in the southern Iranian city of Bandar Abbas has risen to 28. About a thousand people were injured. The fire is still being extinguished.
This is reported by the AP agency, Censor.NET reports.
It is noted that the fire in the port is still ongoing.
Due to the smoke from the fire, the Iranian authorities closed schools and businesses located near the port.
Iranian state television said that preliminary investigations point to "negligence in the storage of flammable materials at the facility."
As a reminder, the explosion in the Iranian port occurred on the morning of Saturday, April 26. A strong blast wave shattered windows within a radius of several kilometers. The local edition of Fars News reports that the explosion was heard 26 kilometers from the epicenter.
Update
Reuters later reported that the death toll had risen to at least 40, with over 1,200 people injured.
Fires are still burning, as firefighters and helicopters continue efforts to bring them under control.
The explosion at the Iranian port occurred on the morning of Saturday, April 26. The powerful blast wave shattered windows within a radius of several kilometers. According to local outlet Fars News, the explosion was heard as far as 26 kilometers from the epicenter.
