Public mourning announced in Iran

Pars Today – Following the tragic explosion incident at Shahid Rajaei Port, the Islamic Republic of Iran's government announced Monday as a public day of mourning across Iran.

Fatemeh Mohajerani, the spokesperson for the Islamic Republic of Iran's government, said on Sunday: "The government has declared Monday as a public day of mourning throughout Iran." According to Pars Today, she expressed condolences to the bereaved families and highlighted the special follow-up of the incident and the visit of the President to Bandar Abbas.

President Pezeshkian arrived in Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan Province, at noon on Sunday to assess the latest situation regarding the explosion at Shahid Rajaei Port and to manage the various dimensions of this incident on-site.

According to the announced schedule, the President will participate in an emergency meeting of the provincial crisis management headquarters, attended by ministers and relevant authorities, to review field reports and issue necessary directives to expedite addressing the situation of the injured, compensate for damages, and restore normal conditions to Shahid Rajaei Port.

A major explosion occurred around 12 PM on Saturday at Shahid Rajaei Port (southern Iran), the cause of which has not yet been determined.

The intensity of the explosion was such that it caused the destruction of some buildings and vehicles near the site of the incident.

Eskandar Momeni, Iran's Minister of Interior, and Farzaneh Sadegh, Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development, were present at the scene from the first hours following the incident, representing the President.

Pirhossein Kolivand, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, stated on Sunday afternoon that more than a thousand injured from the Shahid Rajaei Port incident had been transferred to hospitals: "Search and rescue operations have been very well executed."

Stating that most of these injured have already been discharged from hospitals, Kolivand added: "Currently, 190 injured are hospitalized."

The head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society also noted that unfortunately, 28 people lost their lives in this incident, adding: "20 individuals are in intensive care units."

So far, many countries, including Belarus, Armenia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Venezuela, Bahrain, Turkey, Oman, Iraq, Tajikistan, and Japan, have sent messages of condolences to the families of the victims as well as to the government and people of Iran.

MG