TEHRAN - A huge explosion occurred at around 12.30 pm local time on Saturday at Shahid Rajaee Port in southern Hormozgan Province, leaving at least four dead and 500 injured, according to the Red Crescent Society.

The strategically important port lies around 15 kilometers southwest of the port of Bandar Abbas on the northern shore of the Strait of Hormuz.

The exact cause of the explosion has yet to be known. However, Fatemeh Mohajerani, the government spokeswoman, said some containers that had been stored at the port and contained chemicals had probably exploded.

The wounded were transferred to Hormozgan hospitals. Eskandar Momeni, the interior minister, and Pirhossein Kolivand, the head of the Red Crescent Society, have gone to Bandar Abbas.

Twenty rapid response teams and five helicopters were dispatched to the scene after the explosion.

The Emergency Operations Center has been put on alert, and the process of providing relief to victims and the actions of the operational teams will be monitored in real time.

Medical centers in Hormozgan, Fars, and Kerman provinces are fully prepared to receive the injured. Some medical centers in Tehran have also announced their readiness to accept the injured if needed.

Initial reports indicate that the blast originated in an administrative building within the port complex. The blast was so intense that it completely destroyed the building and severely damaged many vehicles, Press TV reported.

Following the incident, all port operations were suspended as security and emergency teams worked to secure the area. Authorities immediately declared a state of emergency at hospitals across Bandar Abbas in preparation for possible mass casualties.

The National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company also announced that the explosion had nothing to do with refineries, fuel tanks, distribution centers, or oil pipelines associated with this company in that area, and that the facilities located in Bandar Abbas were currently operating without interruption.

President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed deep sorrow over the incident and offered sympathy to the families of the victims.

First Vice-President Mohammad-Reza Aref has ordered immediate and comprehensive investigations to determine the exact cause of the incident and the extent of the damage.