At least four people were killed and more than 500 others injured after a huge explosion rocked Shahid Rajaee Port near Bandar Abbas, in southern Iran.
The blast destruction in the surrounding areas and affecting some industries in western Bandar Abbas. State media reported that the source of the incident was the explosion of several containers stored in the Shahid Rajaee Port wharf area.
The National Iranian Petroleum Refining and Distribution Company said that the oil facilities were not affected by the blast. The blast occurred as Iran began a third round of nuclear talks with the United States in Oman, although the cause of the explosion was not immediately clear.
The explosion blew out the windows of nearby office buildings and caused the roof of at least one building to collapse.
According to reports, witnesses have said the explosion occurred after a fire broke out and spread to unsealed containers storing “flammable materials”, most probably, chemicals.