Firefighters contain blaze at key Iranian port as death toll reaches 70

Firefighters managed to contain a blaze at a key port in southern Iran after it was rocked by a massive explosion over the weekend that has left at least 70 people dead, local media reported Monday.

Helicopters and aircraft dumped water on the fire following the blast Saturday at the Shahid Rajaei port.

According to the latest update from crisis management officials in Hormozgan province, where the port is located, the death toll from the explosion and subsequent fire has risen to 70, with more than 1,000 others recuperating from their injuries.

Hassan Zafari, a spokesperson for the National Crisis Management Organization, was quoted as saying that the firefighting operation, which lasted more than 48 hours, has concluded and the fire has now been brought under control.

He said the focus will now shift toward other operations, including debris removal and search efforts, which will be carried out by provincial authorities.

Referring to the presence of Interior Minister Eskander Momeni and his deputies at the scene, Zafari said that due to the efforts of firefighters from the provinces of Tehran, Kerman, Fars and Hormozgan, as well as aerial firefighting operations conducted by military forces and the Red Crescent Society, the firefighting mission had been successfully completed.

"Although the national operation has ended, tasks such as spot extinguishing, relocation of burned containers, suppression of isolated fires, search operations for possible injured or deceased individuals, forensic examinations and debris removal will continue and are expected to take at least 20 more days," he noted.

He added that management of the operation will now shift from the national to the provincial level, with local authorities in Hormozgan assuming full responsibility for overseeing the situation.

According to local media, the fire broke out at the port around 12 p.m. local time (0830GMT) on Saturday, specifically in the container dock area. Initial reports suggested the presence of flammable materials near the site of the explosion.

The strategically important port, located in southern Hormozgan province, lies about 15 kilometers (9.32 miles) southwest of the port of Bandar Abbas on the northern shore of the Strait of Hormuz.

President Masoud Pezeshkian visited Bandar Abbas on Sunday and met with the injured in a hospital. He also conducted an aerial survey of the port accompanied by senior officials and ordered an investigation into the cause of the incident.

In a statement Sunday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also called for a thorough investigation into the explosion.

He described the incident as "heartbreaking" and urged security and judicial authorities to conduct a full probe to "uncover any negligence or deliberate wrongdoing and pursue it in accordance with the law."

Since Saturday, many countries have expressed solidarity and offered assistance to the Iranian government in the wake of the devastating port explosion, which is believed to have caused significant damage and losses.