Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
TEHRAN, May 5 (Xinhua) — Iran on Sunday revised down the death toll from a powerful blast at its main commercial port late last month, dropping the death toll to 57 from 70. Two suspects have been detained.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency, citing Hormozgan provincial chief judge Mojtaba Karemani, reported that the updated toll from the April 26 blast at Shahid Rajaee port included 46 bodies found and identified and 11 people still missing.
M. Kareman explained that the number of victims decreased after forensic examination established that some body parts collected separately belonged to the same people. A special task force was created to search for the missing, he added.
State television reported on Sunday that two people, including a government official, had been detained.
The explosion and subsequent fire left more than 1,200 people injured, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society. Search and rescue operations at the scene ended on Sunday.
Authorities have pointed to safety violations that led to the incident. A statement from the provincial crisis management office cited a failure to comply with safety and passive defense measures, while Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni last Monday cited “a certain amount of negligence.”
The Shahid Rajaee Port, located in the southern province of Hormozgan, is Iran’s largest maritime hub, handling the vast majority of container traffic and more than half of the country’s trade. –0–