Iranian newspaper says most port blast victims were low-wage workers

Iran’s Etemad newspaper reported that roughly 90% of those killed in the deadly explosion at Rajaei port in Bandar Abbas were workers, most of them earning minimum wages and working long hours under difficult economic conditions.

“This tragedy is not the first and will not be the last,” the editorial said, criticizing employer negligence and systemic safety failures. It added that in such cases, “employers are rarely held accountable,” while victims’ families are left with grief and minimal compensation — if any.

The blast on April 26 killed at least 70 people and injured over 1,200. An investigation is ongoing.