A blast occurrs on April 26, 2025, at a port in Iran's southern province of Hormozgan, sending a huge column of smoke into the sky and causing extensive damage to nearby buildings and cars. Photo: Screenshot from CCTV news

A massive explosion and fire at the Shahid Rajaei port in southern Iran on Saturday killed at least 28 people and injured around 800 others, after which the Chinese Embassy in Iran and the Consulate General in Bandar Abbas immediately verified the safety of Chinese nationals with local authorities and issued a security alert. 

After the explosion, the Chinese Embassy in Iran and the Consulate General in Bandar Abbas promptly communicated with local Iranian authorities to verify the situation, including checking on the injury status of Chinese nationals and requesting that the local authorities make every effort to provide medical treatment and ensure the safety of the lives and property of Chinese nationals, the Global Times learned from the Chinese Embassy in Iran on Sunday.

Iran's crisis management organization said on Sunday local time that 80 percent of the firefighting efforts at the port have been completed, and the fire is expected to be fully extinguished within a few hours, CCTV News reported. 

The Chinese Embassy in Iran issued a safety alert on Sunday reminding Chinese nationals in the country to enhance security awareness, avoid traveling to dangerous and sensitive areas as well as crowded places, and ensure personal and property safety. In case of emergencies, they are advised to report to the police instantly and contact the Chinese embassy for assistance.

According to China's Consulate General in Bandar Abbas, three Chinese citizens sustained minor injuries in the explosion. They are now in good condition after receiving medical treatment, according to Xinhua on Sunday morning.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered an investigation into the causes of the incident. He wrote on social media platform X that the interior minister had been sent to the region to "examine the dimensions of the accident." 

Hossein Zafari, spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Organization, told the semi-official Fars news agency that chemical materials in a container at the port caused the blast, Xinhua reported.

"Previously, the Director General of Crisis Management had given warnings to this port during their visits and had pointed out the possibility of danger," Zafari said, reported Reuters. 

Meanwhile, the Iranian government's spokeswoman, Fatemeh Mohajerani, warned against any "hasty speculations" about the cause of the incident before relevant authorities complete the investigations, Xinhua said.

She added that what had been confirmed so far was that there were containers, probably with chemical materials, at a corner of the port, Xinhua reported. 

Iran's National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company said the explosion at the port was not related to the refineries, fuel tanks, or oil pipelines "associated with the company in that area." This came after Iranian official media reported that the blast occurred after a fuel tanker at the port "exploded for unknown reasons," according to CNN. 

Located near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, Shahid Rajaee port is Iran's biggest container hub, handling a majority of the country's container goods, according to state media, Reuters reported. 

Reuters reported that a series of deadly incidents has hit Iranian energy and industrial infrastructure in recent years.

They have included refinery fires, a gas explosion at a coal mine, and an emergency repair incident at Bandar Abbas that killed one worker in 2023, said the report.