A massive explosion and fire that rocked a port Saturday in southern Iran, purportedly linked to a shipment of a chemical ingredient used to make missile propellant, has killed at least 40 people and injured around 1,000 others, officials said.

The death toll has spiked sharply, with 1,000 others reported injured, according to the Associated Press, citing Iranian state TV. Of those wounded, 190 remain in hospital, said Pir Hossein Kolivand,