Iran declares Monday as day of national mourning after blast

EghtesadOnline: In a statement on Sunday, President Masoud Pezeshkian's Government spokeswoman, Fatemeh Mohajerani, declared Monday a day of national mourning after the tragic blast and subsequent fire at Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas.

Meanwhile, Pezeshkian arrived in Bandar Abbas, the capital of Hormozgan province, on Sunday afternoon to inspect rescue efforts and be briefed on the latest developments after yesterday's massive explosion.

The president visited some of the injured in hospitals in Bandar Abbas on Sunday afternoon.

A three-day mourning has been declared in Hormozgan province, where Bandar Abbas is located, as the provincial capital.

Iranian authorities said that the fire had been contained by Sunday afternoon. The port has been functioning since yesterday, shortly after the blast. The tragic explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port has so far resulted in the confirmed deaths of at least 28 people and injuries to over 800 others.

Shahid Rajaei (Rajaee) is the largest and the most modern Iranian port.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society said in its latest statistics on the incident released on Sunday afternoon that 28 people were killed and 1,242 other people were injured.

Of the total number of the injured, 240 people have been admitted to hospitals in Hormozgan province and 7 people in hospitals in Shiraz, in neighboring Fars province, the  Red Crescent said.

Hormozgan governor later put the death toll from the blast at 40 and the number of injured at over 900.