A deadly explosion at Iran’s Bandar Abbas port has left at least 40 dead, with more than 1,200 people injured, state media reported on Sunday, halting operations at one of the country’s most vital trade hubs.

The death toll from the explosion at Iran’s largest port, Bandar Abbas, has risen to 40, with more than 1,200 people injured, state media reported on Sunday.

The massive blast, believed to have been caused by the explosion of chemical materials, struck the Shahid Rajaee section of the port. President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered an investigation into the incident and dispatched his interior minister to the site, where efforts are continuing to extinguish the fires and prevent them from spreading.

Iranian Red Crescent teams are assisting at the scene, while a firefighting plane has been dumping water near the still-burning areas.

Shahid Rajaee Port, located about 15 kilometers southwest of Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan province along the northern shore of the Strait of Hormuz, is considered strategically vital for Iran’s trade and shipping activities.

As relief workers battled the fires, customs officials said trucks were being evacuated from the area and that the container yard where the blast occurred likely contained dangerous goods and chemicals. Activities at the port have been halted following the explosion.

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