Iran lawmaker blames deadly port blast on misdeclared cargo and safety failures

A member of Iran’s parliament said the deadly explosion at Rajaei port in Bandar Abbas was caused by a company falsely declaring hazardous chemicals as low-risk cargo, leading to improper handling and a fatal blast that killed at least 70 people.

“The cause was not complex. It was negligence and misdeclaration by a company,” said Mohammad Jamalian, a member of the parliamentary health committee. “The forklift operator didn’t know the material was dangerous. A spark set it off.”

Jamalian, part of the parliamentary delegation sent to investigate the April 26 blast, said cost-cutting and bureaucracy may have motivated the false declaration. He also pointed to inadequate X-ray scanning at the port as a critical failure, calling on the government to act urgently.