Iran says the fire at a southern port rocked by an explosion finally was extinguished as the death toll in the incident rose to at least 70 people killed.

The death toll from a major explosion in Iran's most important container port of Bandar Abbas rose to at least 70, with over 1,200 injured, state media said on Monday, as firefighters battled a blaze that Iranian officials said was now under control 48 hours after the start of the fire.

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,