Hundreds injured in explosion at Iranian port, officials say
Smoke rises after a massive explosion that ripped through the Shahid Rajaee Port as officials conduct operations on April 26, 2025. More than 500 people have so far been injured in a massive explosion (Photo by Iranian Red Crescent/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(LONDON) — Hundreds of people were injured following an explosion at one of Iran’s most important ports, according to officials.
The explosion originated in a container at the Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas, according to state media outlet Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.
At least 516 people were injured in the explosion and subsequent fire, according to state outlet the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), which cited a spokesperson for Iran’s emergency services.
Video posted to social media shows damaged buildings filled with smoke.
Emergency services rushed to the scene following the explosion. The port plays a key role in trade in the country and is responsible for the vast majority of loading and unloading of goods in Iranian ports.
The cause of the explosion is under investigation, said Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, a crisis management official in the area.
It is unclear whether there were fatalities as a result of the explosion.
(LONDON) — At least 10 people have been injured after a car rammed into a bus stop in Israel, at Karkur Junction, according to Israeli police.
The suspect is a 53-year-old Palestinian from the Jenin area who is married to an Israeli citizen and living in Israel without a permit, according to police.
The driver ran over and injured several civilians standing at the bus stop, police said. The driver has been “neutralized,” police said.
A 17-year-old girl was critically injured, two others seriously wounded, one moderately injured and six others suffered minor injuries, police said.
The critically injured teen suffered head and limb injuries and is now sedated and ventilated, according to Magen David Adom, the Israeli emergency services agency. A 60-year-old male with head and limb injuries has also been sedated and ventilated and a 19-year-old female with head injuries is conscious, Magen David Adom said. A 18-year-old female with limb injuries is in moderate condition and is fully conscious.
“It was a severe scene. When we arrived with large forces, we saw the injured, some of them lying on a dirt mound behind the bus stop,” Orly Keinan, an EMT with the group, said. “They told us they were hit by a vehicle that had mounted the sidewalk and fled. We provided them with lifesaving treatment, including stopping bleeding, bandaging, and immobilization, before evacuating them to Hillel Yaffe Medical Center.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(AMSTERDAM) — Five people were injured, including two Americans, in a “serious” stabbing attack that occurred in broad daylight in Amsterdam’s city center on Thursday, police said.
The suspected assailant is in custody and a motive remains under investigation into what authorities are considering might have been a random attack, police said.
The incident was reported shortly before 3:30 p.m. Thursday, with emergency services receiving multiple reports of a stabbing, police said.
The victims were located at various locations near Amsterdam’s central Dam Square, according to police.
“Police are considering the possibility that the suspect may have randomly targeted victims, but the exact motive remains unknown,” Amsterdam police said in a statement.
The victims include two Americans — a 67-year-old woman and a 69-year-old man — police said.
A 19-year-old woman from Amsterdam, a 26-year-old man from Poland and a 73-year-old woman from Belgium were also injured in the stabbing, police said.
Police did not release any details on their conditions.
Officers apprehended the suspect near Dam Square with the help of bystanders shortly after the incident, police said.
The suspect was transported to a hospital with a leg injury and officers are investigating his identity, police said.
“The police investigation is in full swing and is currently the highest priority,” Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said in a statement. “We hope to gain clarity soon about the background of this horrific stabbing incident. Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and loved ones.”
(DOMINICAN REPUBLIC) — The death toll has continued to rise after the roof of a Dominican Republic nightclub collapsed during a concert.
At least 58 people were killed in the roof collapse at the Jet Set nightclub, located in the capital of Santo Domingo, according to national police.
At least 160 people were injured, the Dominican civil defense said earlier.
A search-and-rescue operation was underway in the rubble following the collapse, police said.
The incident happened at 12:34 a.m. Tuesday, during a concert by the Dominican merengue singer Rubby Pérez, according to the national police. The roof collapsed within seconds, police said.
“We deeply regret the tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub,” Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader said in a post on social media. “We have been following the incident minute by minute since it occurred. All relief agencies have provided the necessary assistance and are working tirelessly in the rescue efforts. Our prayers are with the affected families.”
The deceased included former MLB player Octavio Dotel, 51, according to the Dominican Republic’s minister of interior and police, Faride Raful.
The Dominican pitcher played for 13 MLB teams, including the Mets, which held a moment of silence for Dotel before their game on Tuesday.
“We mourn the passing of Octavio Dotel,” the Mets said in a social media post. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy in the Dominican Republic.”
Dotel was part of a combined no-hitter against the Yankees in June 2003, a team he would play for three years later.
Montecristi Gov. Nelsy Milagros Cruz Martinez was also among those killed, according to national police and Abinader’s office. She was the sister of former MLB star Nelson Cruz, who shared a statement from the Cruz Martinez family on social media that said her “legacy of service and love for others will live forever in our hearts.”
Many families gathered at the scene looking for their loved ones who were inside the club, according to DJ Shakirax, who was at the nightclub and shared videos from the scene.
An investigation into the cause of the collapse is underway, police said.
There was a fire in 2023 that damaged part of the nightclub, authorities said.
