A powerful explosion rocked a port in southern Iran on Saturday, injuring at least 500 people, state television reported.
The blast occurred at Rajaei Port, just outside Bandar Abbas, a major container terminal in the Islamic Republic that handles about 80 million tons of goods annually.
Videos on social media showed black smoke rising from the blast. Other footage showed shattered glass on buildings miles away from the epicenter.
Authorities have not yet said what caused the blast. Industrial accidents are common in Iran, especially at its aging oil facilities that are hard to get parts for due to international sanctions.
However, Iranian state television has specifically ruled out the possibility that energy infrastructure was the cause or was damaged in the blast.
Mehrdad Hasanzadeh, a disaster management official in the province, told Iranian state television that rescuers were trying to reach the affected area while others were trying to evacuate the site.
