Explosion at Iranian Chemical Plant Kills 3, Injures 2 in Southern Port City
At least three people have been killed and two others hospitalized following a powerful explosion and fire at a chemical plant in southern Iran, authorities confirmed Wednesday.
The incident occurred shortly after 11 a.m. local time (07:30 GMT) at the Kaveh Petrochemical Company in Bandar Deyr, located in the coastal Bushehr province, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported.
According to provincial crisis management official Kourosh Dehghani, the explosion originated in a methanol storage unit after welding work on a barge ignited flammable materials. The resulting fire engulfed part of the facility, prompting an emergency response from local firefighting units.
Emergency crews have since brought the fire under control and are continuing efforts to cool the affected area, Dehghani told state television. He added that no additional casualties are expected.
Footage aired by Iranian media showed massive plumes of thick black smoke rising over the industrial site, as firefighters battled the blaze with high-pressure hoses.
The Kaveh Petrochemical facility, spanning over 200 hectares (approximately 494 acres), is one of the region’s largest methanol producers. The plant reportedly produces up to 2.3 million tonnes of methanol annually — a highly flammable industrial chemical used in fuels, plastics, and solvents.
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
With input from Al Jazeera
