Explosion at Iranian port kills 4, injures over 500

Social media footage of the explosion saw smoke rising from the fire. Pic/PTI

A massive explosion and fire rocked a port on Saturday in southern Iran purportedly linked to a shipment of a chemical ingredient used to make missile propellant, killing four people and injuring more than 500 others.

The blast at the Shahid Rajaei port happened as Iran and the United States met on Saturday in Oman for the third round of negotiations over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme.

For hours, authorities in Iran offered no clear explanation for what caused the blast at the port, though they did deny that the explosion had anything to do with the country's oil industry.

According to authorities the fire was reportedly the result of improper handling of a shipment of solid fuel intended for use in Iranian ballistic missiles.

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