A Rescuer’s Account: The Day the War Reached a Minab School

WANA (Mar 26) – When the sound of the explosion echoed through Minab, many still didn’t know what had happened. But for Abolfazl Heidari, a volunteer Red Crescent rescuer, that sound alone was enough to know he had to head to the field.

Minutes later, he stood amidst smoke, anxious crowds, and building rubble—a place where school bags, blood-stained shoes, and notebooks were the only signs of the children trapped beneath the debris.

That day had started like any other for Abolfazl Heidari. He was at home when a massive roar suddenly shattered the city’s silence, changing everything in an instant. Heidari has served as a volunteer rescuer with the Minab Red Crescent Society for two years.

He has experienced various incidents, but what he saw that day was different: “The moment the war started, I was at home. Suddenly, there was a very loud explosion. I went outside and saw heavy smoke rising. I knew right then that a major disaster had occurred. A few minutes later, the office called and told me to get there immediately.”

School Strike in Minab. Social media/ WANA News Agency

Rushing Toward the Incident

It didn’t take long for him to reach the Red Crescent headquarters. In moments like these, everything moves rapidly and without pause—collecting equipment, forming teams, and deploying to the site. Heidari and the other rescuers knew that every minute of delay could change the fate of a human life.

He recounts: “I rushed to the office. Our supervisor handed us the gear, and we set off instantly. When we arrived at the scene, the fire department had just gotten there. A large crowd had gathered, and many had started helping even before we arrived. At the Shajareh Tayebe School, thick dust and smoke still hung over everything.”

“The school building had collapsed into a heavy silence. In the schoolyard, notebooks, bags, small shoes, and broken benches were scattered—images that showed the attack occurred exactly when the children were in their classrooms.”

Parents Running Amidst Smoke and Ruins

The scene that rescuers witnessed in those first few minutes was filled with chaos and anxiety. Smoke swirled in the air as frantic people searched for their loved ones.

Funeral Ceremony for the Students killed in Minab on March 03, 2026. Social media/ WANA News Agency

Among the casualties were families whose children had been at the site: “The children’s parents were there. Many of them had been injured. Some of the children had been hit by shrapnel. The scene was incredibly crowded. We quickly began attending to the wounded and, with the help of the emergency services, transported them.”

Heidari added: “Afterward, we formed a team for debris removal. Our most important task was creating a path to reach those under the rubble. With every piece of stone we moved, we held the hope in our hearts that we might find a child alive, but at the same time, we carried a deep fear of arriving too late. Sometimes, the small, lifeless bodies of students would emerge from beneath the debris, which brought pain to all of our hearts.”

Clearing Rubble Under Watchful Eyes

The debris removal continued for hours. Rescuers and civilians worked shoulder to shoulder, everyone striving to find even the smallest sign of their loved ones.

Amidst the ruins, items were uncovered that would make anyone’s heart tremble: “We cleared rubble without stopping until the next day. The people helped, too. No one left the site—not the rescue forces, not the locals, and not the families sitting by the debris with tearful eyes. They kept asking: ‘Just tell us where our child is… are they alive or not?’

Girls’ School in Minab Hit in Israel–United States Airstrikes; Over 50 Students Killed. Social Media / WANA News Agency

As we pushed the rubble aside, we would see the children’s school bags. Families would come and look at the bags to see if they belonged to their child. We found blood-stained shoes. We pulled school notebooks out from under the dirt. Parents would come and flip through the pages; when they saw their child’s name, they knew their little one was trapped beneath. It was a very bitter scene.”

Unforgettable Scenes

For Heidari, one of the most agonizing moments of that day was seeing children who had been severely traumatized by the blast wave. He speaks in a lower voice:

“For me, the most painful sight was the children whose clothes had been torn away and whose hair had fallen out. The blast wave had caused this. It was truly a horrific scene. There were also several people near the school wall whom the blast wave had pinned against it. Seeing those scenes was incredibly difficult, but we had to keep going because someone might still be alive under the rubble.”

A Brief Return and Renewed Alert

After hours of relentless work, the rescue teams returned to the base for a short time. But the operation was not over. A few hours later, news arrived that several people were still missing: “After the debris removal, we went back to the office and stayed on high alert. The governor’s office announced that there were still missing persons. We grabbed our gear again and returned to the scene to continue the search.”

Funeral Ceremony for the Students killed in Minab on March 03, 2026. Social media/ WANA News Agency

Discovery of Missile Remains

As the operation continued, rescuers came across a sign of just how massive the explosion had been. A piece of the missile was embedded deep in the ground: “We found a fragment of the missile that had pierced the earth. We cleared the area around it with extreme care. It was dangerous work, and we had to be very cautious.”

But what was found afterward was a scene that no rescuer ever wants to face.

He says: “In that same section, we found dismembered remains. It was truly a horrific scene. Even for us, who have been in operations for years, seeing something like that is very difficult. At the end of the operation, when the final statistics were announced, a heavy silence fell over everyone. 168 martyrs; including students and teachers. That day did not just leave behind an incident, but a deep wound on the body of the city and an unforgettable memory for every rescuer.”

First Experience of War

For many of the Minab rescuers, this operation was their first real encounter with combat conditions—an experience vastly different from typical emergencies. Until then, Heidari had only seen war on television: “I had no experience of war. During the 12-day war, I wasn’t in Tehran. These past few days were my first real experience of war.”

A Responsibility That Begins with a Uniform

Despite all the hardships and bitter scenes, Heidari says he never once thought of backing down. For him, wearing the Red Crescent uniform means accepting a grave responsibility—one that finds its true meaning in the toughest moments:

“From the very day we agreed to wear the Red Crescent uniform, we promised ourselves that wherever someone felt a need, we would be the first to reach them. This is what we came here to do. We have no fear and are always ready for the task.”

Images of Minab Schoolchildren Displayed on the Wall of Iran’s Embassy in Spain. Social media/ WANA News Agency