Massive explosion at port city of Bandar Abbas in Iran, four killed, over 500 injured - Video

An explosion was reported at Shahid Rajaee port in the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, more than 1,000 km (620 miles) south of capital Tehran, on Saturday. Over 500 people were injured and four killed, as per state media. Footage on state television showed thick columns of black smoke billowing from the port area, where many containers are stored, with helicopters deployed to fight the fire. The reason for the blast remains unknown. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed sympathy for the victims of the blast, dispatching the interior minister Eskandar Momeni to supervise an investigation.

👀 Blast reported at Iran's Bandar Abbas port, cause unclear.

— Iran International pic.twitter.com/OOvdldRm4N

The injured were transferred to Hormozgan Hospital. A CCTV video of the incident is also doing the rounds on social media, though the Iranian administration has not yet issued any statement or verified the authenticity of these videos. 

🔴 CCTV footage shows the moment huge explosion rocked southern 🇮🇷 #Iran.#BandarAbbas

@ZSaffar pic.twitter.com/etkQ6uy8ID

National Iranian Petroleum Refining and Distribution Company issued a statement following the blast saying, oil facilities in the area were not affected by the blast. “The explosion and fire in Shahid Rajaei Port have no connection to refineries, fuel tanks, distribution complexes and oil pipelines related to this company,” the company said.

Meanwhile, in a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his condolences for the loss of lives in the explosion in Bandar Abbas.

President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran @drpezeshkian called PM @narendramodi and strongly condemned the terror attack in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and conveyed his condolences for the victims.

Both leaders agreed that there could be no justication for such…

The attack comes even as Washington and Tehran continue talks over the nuclear deal, with a third round in Oman today. President Donald Trump has already warned that the United States will "lead the pack" in attacking Iran if talks over Tehran's nuclear programme do not result in a new deal, according to a Time Magazine interview.

Abbas Araghchi, top diplomat and Iran's foreign minister is spearheading the high-level negotiations. At the negotiation table, Araghchi is facing US envoy Steve Witkoff, a real estate magnate without previous experience in foreign policy.

Earlier in 2020, Lebanon's capital Beirut was rocked by a major explosion triggered by the ignition of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate. The Lebanese government declared a two-week state of emergency in response to the disaster. The probe into the blast is underway.