Final death toll from Rajaei port blast revised to 57

Two managers—one from the public sector and one from the private sector—are in custody and several others have been summoned as witnesses in connection with the recent explosion at Rajaei port, the investigating judge said, according to judiciary-affiliated Mizan News.

Bail orders have been issued for the two detained managers; however, they remain in custody.

The judge, who Mizan did not name, visited the site of the incident on Tuesday to review field findings and speak with individuals who were present from the moment of the blast. He added that expert opinions are needed to assess various aspects of the case.

“If negligence or fault by any person is proven, they will face firm legal action without exception,” the judge said.

The explosion at Rajaei port could have caused between three and five billion dollars in damages, a deputy communications minister said on Monday, citing the incident as an example of weak data infrastructure and a lack of information transparency in the country.

Mohammad-Hassan Sadr, the deputy minister of information and communications technology, questioned why the port had a backlog of 130,000 containers without clear information on their contents.

"Why should 130,000 containers be stockpiled in this port, but the contents of none of them be clear?" Sadr was quoted as saying.

A fire broke out again on Monday at Iran's Rajaei port, the country's main shipping hub that was the site of the deadly explosion on April 26.

Videos indicated that the blaze was caused by a reach stacker, a vehicle used for handling containers within the port.

Two people have been arrested in connection with the recent explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port, Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei said on Monday.

Ejei said investigations are ongoing. “The necessary measures to manage the situation at Shahid Rajaei Port were carried out as swiftly as possible with the help of rescue workers, government forces, and local authorities,” he said.

He also directed judicial officials to act decisively and promptly to identify and prosecute anyone found responsible for negligence or wrongdoing related to the incident.

The final death toll from the April 26 explosion at Iran's Rajaei port has been revised to 57, the head of Hormozgan's judiciary announced.

Mojtaba Ghahremani said the previously reported figure of 70 fatalities was based on initial estimates.

However, he added, further investigations, including family inquiries and forensic tests, revealed that some body parts collected from different parts of the blast site and stored in separate bags actually belonged to the same individuals.

This led to the adjustment in the casualty count.

According to the judiciary official, the confirmed total includes 46 identified bodies and 11 individuals still missing.

Multiple videos circulating on social media appear to show explosions and fires Sunday in the Iranian cities of Mashhad and Qom.
Footage from Mashhad indicates a blast at what some reports describe as a factory site, though details remain unverified.
No official confirmation has been issued by Iranian authorities, and casualty figures are unclear. The cause of the apparent incidents is also not yet known. Iran International has not independently verified the videos.

Eighteen more victims of the Rajaei port explosion have been identified using DNA from relatives, said Reza Raeoufian, head of Iran’s genetic identity database.
He said 29 families came forward after the Legal Medicine Organization issued a call for DNA samples.
Samples from 11 families did not match any of the unidentified remains.
Authorities had previously identified 36 bodies through other scientific methods. The confirmed identities now stands at 54 out of 70 reported dead.

Air pollution in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas has increased following recent explosions, said Hormozgan Medical Sciences University head Pejman Shahrokhi.
Preliminary assessments detected toxic gases and particles, prompting public health concerns. Shahrokhi said the Health Ministry had investigated the issue and concluded the pollution did not exceed critical danger levels. However, officials have urged vulnerable residents—particularly the elderly, children, and those with underlying conditions—to remain indoors when possible and to wear masks outdoors.
“The contamination is ongoing,” Shahrokhi said, adding that monitoring efforts continue in coordination with health and emergency services.

Hazardous materials must be swiftly removed from Iranian ports and not left to accumulate, a senior shipping official said following the fatal explosion at Rajaei port.
“Dangerous goods should be transported out immediately,” said Yahya Ziaei Mehrjerdi, secretary-general of Iran’s Shipowners Association on Sunday.

He rejected efforts to place blame solely on the Ports and Maritime Organization, noting that “the explosion took place at the port, but responsibility lies across multiple agencies.” Ziaei Mehrjerdi cited low storage fees, financial bottlenecks and documentation problems as reasons cargoes often remain uncleared.

A senior Iranian industry official has blamed “systemic human error” and poor logistics for the recent fire at Rajaei port.
The blaze stemmed from “insufficient customs infrastructure, poor storage practices and excessive container buildup,” said Arman Khaleqi, secretary-general of Iran’s Chamber of Industry, Mine and Trade.
He urged the creation of a fact-finding committee to issue a comprehensive report. “Many ships are idling at sea because our ports lack adequate loading capacity,” Khaleqi said, adding that shifting tariffs and currency rates have also deterred cargo clearance.