Tehran, 27 April 2025 (dpa/MIA) - The death toll from the massive blast in the southern Iranian port of Shahid Rajaee has risen to 28, with more than 800 people injured, the IRNA state news agency reported on Sunday.

Six people are still missing after the massive explosion, it added.

According to government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani, hospitals in the Hormuzgan province are overwhelmed and many patients are being transferred to other cities.

Residents of the province are still being called upon to donate blood for the injured.

The force of the explosion, whose shock wave was felt within a radius of 50 kilometres, also caused considerable damage to the port infrastructure.

Local authorities said the situation in the port city has returned to normal, but the cause of the explosion is still unclear.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered a full investigation into the accident and sent a special team with two ministers to the scene.

Further details, in particular the cause and the exact number of victims, will be released once the investigation has been completed.

Several international leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, have expressed their condolences to Iran over the incident. The Kremlin said Russia had sent two civil defence aircraft with personnel to help Iran with the firefighting efforts.

Shahid Rajaee, near the major city of Bandar Abbas, is located in one of Iran's important economic zones, handling more than a third of the nation's maritime trade.

Photo: EPA