Tehran, Apr 27 (V7N) — The death toll from a massive explosion at Iran's Shahid Razai port has risen to 18, with at least 800 others injured, the country's Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni confirmed on state television.

Momeni, speaking from the scene of the explosion, stated that all necessary emergency equipment had been dispatched from nearby cities and Tehran to aid in the response. "We hope to be able to put out the fire in the next few hours," he said, adding that the exact cause of the blast remains unknown.

According to Qatar-based Al Jazeera, the explosion occurred at the Sina Container Yard, which is affiliated with Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization. Shahid Razai port is recognized as Iran's most modern seaport, located 23 kilometers east of Bandar Abbas, the provincial capital of Hormozgan, and just north of the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz — through which a fifth of the world’s oil supply is transported.

Videos circulating on social media showed thick black smoke billowing into the sky, along with scenes of damaged buildings and overturned cars. Eyewitnesses were seen inspecting the destruction at the site.

State television reported that Shahid Razai port, one of Iran’s key container shipping hubs, typically handles about 80 million tons (72.5 million metric tons) of cargo each year.

The explosion occurred against the backdrop of heightened regional tensions, coinciding with the start of Iran's third round of nuclear negotiations with the United States, currently underway in Oman.

END/MSS/AJ