40 DEAD, OVER 1,000 INJURED IN SHAHID RAJAEE PORT INCIDENT

BANDAR ABBAS (Iran), April 28 (Bernama-IRNA) -- The governor-general of Hormozgan Province Mohammad Ashuri said on Sunday night that the number of casualties in the Shahid Rajaee Port incident has risen to 40 dead and over 1,000 injured, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.

Among the injured, 194 people remain hospitalised, while the rest have been discharged.

Nine injured victims were transferred to hospitals outside Hormozgan Province for specialised treatment.

A massive explosion ravaged Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas on Saturday. Only one of the 23 piers of the port sustained significant damage.

Minister of Interior Eskandar Momeni, appointed by President Masoud Pezeshkian to oversee the site and the ongoing relief efforts, said on Sunday night that the cause of this incident is under investigation and that a committee is collecting evidence related to the explosion.

He assured the Iranian public that those responsible would be held accountable. Momeni also said that rescue and firefighting teams responded promptly to extinguish the fire and mitigate its spread.

During a cabinet meeting on Sunday, First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Aref said that the investigation into the explosion's causes is being followed very seriously.

He promised that the details of the incident would be communicated to the Iranian people as soon as they are available. Aref also expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and sympathy for the injured.

In response to this incident, President Pezeshkian's cabinet declared Monday a nationwide day of mourning.

Emergency Department spokesman Mojtaba Khaledi announced the deployment of 50 rescue, relief, and medical teams at Shahid Rajaee Port. He also said that 31 helicopter flights have been conducted to assist in extinguishing the fire at the port.

-- BERNAMA-IRNA