Rajaei Shahr Port Continues Burning at Thousand-Degree Temperature

After 24 hours have passed, Rajaei Shahr port continues to burn in the heat of explosions at thousand-degree temperatures.

Yesterday, Saturday, Ordibehesht 6, a massive explosion occurred in the special economic zone of Shahid Rajaei Pier in Bandar Abbas, with the cause reported as unknown. The explosion has caused thick and widespread smoke in the Bandar Abbas area.

“Babak Yektaparast,” spokesperson for Bandar Abbas Emergency Services, issued a call for “all blood types, especially O negative.” The injured were transferred to “Shahid Mohammadi,” “Seyedol-Shohada,” and “Khatam-ol-Anbia” hospitals in Bandar Abbas. He also stated that emergency services in Shiraz, Jahrom air emergency services, and Lar are on standby. An emergency medical helicopter also took off from Larestan to assist the injured.

Hormozgan Crisis Management announced that the cause of the explosion was uncovered containers at the port. The explosion caused severe damage to administrative buildings in the area, with the ceiling of one building collapsing on employees.

According to eyewitness accounts, the fire initially was partial but due to the 40-degree air temperature and the accumulation of flammable materials, the fire spread rapidly and caused an explosion. Bandar Abbas Customs also identified the incident location as the Sina Container Yard at Shahid Rajaei Port, which is affiliated with the Ports and Maritime Organization.

Today, Sunday, Ordibehesht 7, after 24 hours have passed, efforts to extinguish the fire continue. The Fire Department stated about this operation: “Due to the contents of the containers, the fire is complex and the extinguishing time is uncertain, and due to extremely high temperatures and container contents, besides water, we are extinguishing the fire with foam and powder. Explosions continue and some containers must burn until their contents are depleted.”

A Bandar Abbas resident stated: “As a result of the Rajaei port explosion, approximately 23 women were killed in our office. The blast wave severely damaged eyes and some other colleagues were wounded, and some suffered limb amputations.” Also, according to “Mojtaba Qahramani,” head of the Hormozgan Province Judiciary, the death toll has exceeded 30 people so far, with 21 bodies delivered to the province’s medical examiner, and currently the identity of 10 people has been confirmed.

“Mohammad Reza Rezaei-Kacheyi,” head of the Parliamentary Commission on Construction, after visiting Rajaei Port regarding these explosions said: “Fire suppression is under control, but due to the intensity of heat, some containers explode before flames reach them and as a result, a new section of the port catches fire. It is estimated that more than 10,000 containers have been destroyed in this port fire.”

He also criticized the failure to observe safety regulations and standard placement of containers, adding: “Improper arrangement and lack of proper separation between flammable and non-flammable cargo caused the fire to spread.”

The aforementioned explosion was severe enough that many bodies were completely burned in surrounding vehicles with only their bones remaining, and some were thrown into the air during the explosion such that their bodies have not yet been found, and some are unidentifiable. The pollution from this explosion is so extensive that all schools, universities, and government offices were announced closed for the day.