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Death toll in blast in Iranian port climbs

"The number of fatalities in the blast has climbed to five," Mehrdad Hasanzadeh, a local disaster management official, said

© Mohammad Rasoul Moradi/IRNA/WANA via REUTERS

DUBAI, April 26. /TASS/. The number of fatalities of an explosion at the Shahid Rajaei port in southern Iran has risen to five, Mehrdad Hasanzadeh, a local disaster management official, said.

"The number of fatalities in the blast has climbed to five," he told the IRIB TV channel. "The number of casualties continues to grow but many quickly leave medical facilities [having received aid]," the official added.

According to him, currently the situation is under control with all services engaged. Several helicopters were dispatched from neighboring provinces to extinguish the blaze.

A major explosion rocked Iran’s Shahid Rajaei port in the Persian Gulf on Saturday morning. According to the latest data, about 700 people were injured in the blast. Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni has arrived at the scene. The official cause of the explosion has not yet been named.

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