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The number of fatalities in Saturday's explosion at Shahid Rajaei port in southern Iran is in the dozens, local sources told Iran International.
Earlier Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported that only four individuals were killed in the blast.
The figures announced officially account only for those who were in the surrounding areas, not at the heart of the explosion, a source familiar with the situation told Iran International.
A source close to the family of one of the victims, who shared images and videos from the site with Iran International, said: "Why does the Islamic Republic insist on claiming that no one was killed or that the number of deaths is low?"
Hundreds have been injured, and hospitals lack the capacity and resources to treat them, a family member of an injured person told Iran International, speaking outside a hospital in Bandar Abbas and sharing video footage.
Another Iran International viewer sent a video showing the body of a coworker lying among trucks at the site.
Authorities in Bandar Abbas have issued an urgent appeal for blood donations following the explosion at Rajaei Port, with a particular need for negative blood types, especially O-negative.
The Hormozgan Province Blood Transfusion Center called on residents to assist in supplying local medical centers. According to the Emergency Organization, at least 516 people have been injured in the incident.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed deep regret over the Bandar Abbas port explosion and ordered a full investigation into the cause of the incident, he said in a post on social media on Saturday.
"While expressing deep sorrow and sympathy with the victims in Hormozgan province, I have ordered an investigation into the situation and the causes of the incident," Pezeshkian wrote on X.
He added that Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni had been dispatched as his special representative to "conduct a thorough review of the accident, coordinate relief efforts, and address the needs of the injured."
Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni headed to Bandar Abbas on Saturday to oversee the response to the explosion at Shahid Rajaei port, local media reported.
Momeni had earlier spoken by phone with Hormozgan Governor Mohammad Ashouri and ordered a special investigation into the cause of the blast.
Iran warned against spreading speculation and false information about the explosion at Rajaei Port, saying it could disrupt rescue operations and cause public anxiety.
"The spread of false news and incorrect speculation, which disrupts rescue operations and causes public concern, must be avoided," said the government’s Information Council in a statement on Saturday.
