Iran’s interior minister has said negligence was a factor in the massive explosion and fire at the country’s largest container port, as the death toll rose to at least 70.
Eskandar Momeni said Saturday’s blast at Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas, which also injured more than 1,000 people, was caused by “shortcomings, including noncompliance with safety precautions and negligence”.
“Some individuals deemed responsible” had been summoned for questioning, he added.
Customs authorities have said imported cargo caught fire and exploded. The defence ministry has denied foreign reports that it was a shipment of a missile fuel chemical.
The crisis management director for Hormozgan province, Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, also said on Monday that the firefighting effort at the port was “almost in its final stages”.
Hormozgan Governor Mohammad Ashouri Taziani meanwhile said clearing-up operations at the port could continue for several more days, and that it could take one to two weeks before the situation there returned to normal.
He estimated that 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) – almost two-thirds of the site – were severely affected by the explosion.
