Tehran, Iran – A massive explosion and fire rocked the Shahid Rajaee port in Iran’s southern city of Bandar Abbas on Saturday, killing five people and injuring more than 700 others.

Mehrdad Hasanzadeh, a provincial disaster management official, gave the updated casualty figure in an interview on state television. The previous toll was four dead and more than 500 others injured.

Iran’s customs authority said in a statement that Saturday’s explosion occurred in the Sina container yard.

Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, director of Hormozgan province’s crisis management organisation, told state television that the injured have been transferred to medical facilities.

Earlier, Hormozgan Ports and Maritime Administration official Esmaeil Malekizadeh said the explosion took place near the Shahid Rajaee port dock.

Social media videos showed a huge plume of black smoke and a ball of fire rising from the area of the explosion.