Over 1,000 wounded; fires still burning a day later; person connected to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps tells NYT that sodium perchlorate ignited; Putin offers help.
The death toll in a blast at a key Iranian port rose to at least 40 with over 1,000 wounded, authorities said Sunday, as an individual tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reportedly confirmed the explosion occurred in a shipment from China of a chemical used to produce missile fuel.
Fires continued to break out in different areas of Shahid Rajaei port as of Sunday night, according to state media, with helicopters and firefighters continuing efforts to extinguish them.
Iran’s health ministry urged residents of Hormozgan province, where the port is located, to avoid going outside “until further notice” and to use protective masks.
The port’s customs office said in a statement carried by state television that the explosion probably resulted from a fire that broke out at the hazardous and chemical materials storage depot. A regional emergency official said several containers had exploded.
The New York Times quoted an individual with ties to Iran’s IRGC, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss security matters, who said that sodium perchlorate had exploded. The compound is a major ingredient in solid fuel for missiles.