Twenty-one official bodies were found responsible for the April explosion at Shahid Rajaee port, southern Iran, that killed 58 people and injured more than 1,500, Iran’s judiciary said on Monday.
The judiciary said experts concluded that poor storage of hazardous materials, weak oversight, and lack of coordination among authorities contributed to the disaster. Official bodies including the Ports and Maritime Organization, Customs, the Central Bank and several ministries, were among those cited.
The blast, triggered by containers in the wharf area and followed by a massive fire, devastated part of Bandar Abbas’s main port infrastructure.
The Mostazafan Foundation, a multi-billion-dollar conglomerate controlled by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and sanctioned by the United States, was also named.
Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei called the explosion “very bitter and sad” and said inquiries into both organizations and individuals were continuing.
“According to expert assessments, some organizations and individuals were found at fault. Once the matter is finalized, those responsible will be held accountable,” he said on Monday.
He said several people had been arrested, but gave no numbers.
Ejei said damages for all 58 victims had been secured and most families had already received payments. Assistance has also been provided to survivors and to businesses that lost property.
The blast began with a fire in a container yard at the Sina company site in Bandar Abbas and spread quickly, destroying part of Iran’s main southern port. The area was operated by Sina Marine and Port Services, a subsidiary of the Mostazafan Foundation. Satellite images showed the yard, which could hold up to 20,000 containers, was completely destroyed.
The judiciary said port operations have restarted, with new measures promised to prevent similar tragedies.
Ejei said the judiciary would press for tougher safety enforcement and faster investigations. “Matters must be pursued with determination and should not be allowed to drag on,” he said.
