ISTANBUL

Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday expressed condolences following the deadly explosion at Shahid Rajaei Port in Bandar Abbas, located in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province.

"We are deeply saddened to learn that many people lost their lives and many others were injured in the explosion that occurred today (26 April) at the Shahid Rajaei Port of Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan province of Iran," the ministry said in a written statement.

The ministry extended its condolences "to the families of those who lost their lives and to the people of Iran," and wished "a speedy recovery to the injured."

The death toll from the violent explosion has risen to 8, while the number of injured has climbed to 750, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni confirmed.

The strategically important port, located in the southern Hormozgan province, lies about 15 kilometers southwest of the port of Bandar Abbas on the northern shore of the Strait of Hormuz.