FIRST ON FOX: The Iranian government is suspected of downplaying the severity of the explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas.
While Tehran reported 70 deaths and 1,200 injuries, eyewitness accounts and the extent of the damage suggest the actual figures are much higher, raising concerns, sources tell Fox News Digital.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) estimates the death toll to be closer to 250, with around 1,500 injured.
NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi stated, “The real death toll is much higher than reported. The IRGC and intelligence forces are focused on controlling the situation and concealing the shipment of missile fuel and the extent of the disaster, rather than helping victims.”
The explosion reportedly started in a cargo container holding sodium perchlorate, a missile propellant, potentially solid fuel, that caught fire.
Videos show extensive damage to shipping containers, offices, and a large crater. Sources believe anyone within 200 feet of the blast was killed.
A witness told the NCRI, “The security is very tight. We are trapped inside and told not to go out. The casualties are higher than you can imagine. My brother at the dock said many drivers were pulverized.”
A survivor told the NCRI, “The port and offices are destroyed.”
“The explosion’s shockwave caused colleagues’ eyes to pop out,” the survivor added. “Security forces have sealed off the area.”
“Fifteen firefighters died in the initial blast, along with all staff in the administrative building.”
Another survivor accused the government of “hiding the numbers” by deploying Revolutionary Guard forces and intelligence agents to the site.
The survivor also noted the presence of “chemical” materials that should not have been at the port and that workers were unaware of them.
Iran’s interior minister attributed the fire to “negligence” due to improper cargo storage, according to reports on Tuesday.
Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni cited “shortcomings, including noncompliance with safety precautions and negligence” as the cause.
Officials said “some individuals deemed responsible” have been summoned, but the government hasn’t admitted to missile propellant being stored at the civilian port, Iran’s largest.
In January, Fox News reported two solid fuel shipments from China to Iran, but it is unclear if this cargo had been moved or if more sodium perchlorate had been sent to the port.
In a meeting that appeared to take place Sunday between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and regional and port officials, the president seemed to suggest that cargo shipments should not be permitted to remain for extended periods and said distribution processes need to be accelerated.
Following the explosion, Iran reportedly cordoned off the area, evacuated nearby areas, stationed security agents at hospitals, and accused the media of spreading false information.
“Khamenei’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is responsible for this tragedy, smuggling materials to manufacture missiles and other weapons,” Ali Safavi of the NCRI told Fox News Digital.
“Instead of aiding the wounded or recovering bodies, the regime, fearing public outcry, has warned against sharing news, images, and videos of the explosion, threatening legal action against those who reveal the truth.”