TEHRAN, April 26 - At least eight people have died and 750 others have been injured in a massive explosion that occurred on Saturday at a port in the Hormozgan province of southern Iran, according to the official IRNA news agency. The IRNA reported that six people are missing as a result of the incident, which took place at the Shahid Rajaei port.

According to the Chinese consulate general in Bandar Abbas, three Chinese citizens sustained minor injuries in the explosion. They are now in good condition after receiving treatment. Ahmad Pouyafar, the governor of the Bandar Abbas province, announced that all educational institutions in the city would be closed on Sunday due to the explosion and the resulting air pollution. Hossein Zafari, a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Organization, told the semi-official Fars news agency that the explosion was caused by a chemical substance in a container at the port.

Meanwhile, Fatemeh Mohajerani, a spokeswoman for the Iranian government, warned against any "hasty speculations" about the cause of the incident until the relevant authorities complete their investigation. She added that it has been confirmed that containers, likely containing chemical materials, were located in one corner of the port.

Rapid response teams and rescue workers were dispatched to the scene, and all port operations were suspended, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, which added that the number of injured is likely to increase. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed his condolences to the victims of the explosion in a post on X and announced that he had ordered an investigation into the explosion and the cause of the incident. He added that Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni has been sent to the province to ensure the necessary coordination and to address the situation of the injured.

Later in the day, the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its condolences to the Iranian government and people, deep condolences to the families of the victims, and wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani ordered Iraqi Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammary to coordinate with his Iranian counterpart to assess the incident and provide immediate assistance, according to a brief statement from al-Sudani's media office.

xinhua/gnews.cz-jav