Train derailed in Iran, at least 17 people died

Casualties in the incident train derailed in Iran is likely to increase. The ship that crashed is believed to be carrying about 350 passengers.

Four of the seven carriages in the train derailed early in the morning near the desert city of Tabas, Iranian state television reported. Tabas is about 550km southeast of the capital Tehran.

Rescue teams with ambulances and helicopters have been deployed to the scene of the train crash. The place where the accident happened was determined to be a remote area, with poor communication.

Dozens of people were seriously injured, with some being transported to local hospitals, Iranian officials said.

Governor of Tabas, Ali Akbar Rahimi, said that the accident killed at least 17 people and that the death toll could increase as rescuers searched the carriages.

One of the injured told Iranian television that they saw the train suddenly brake and slow down before derailed.

The train derailment happened about 50km from Tabas on the railway line connecting Tabas with the city of Yazd.

The accident is under investigation. Initial reports suggest the train collided with an excavator near the tracks, but it is unclear why an excavator was close to the tracks at night.

Iran’s worst train disaster occurred in 2004, when a train carrying gasoline, fertilizer, sulfur and cotton crashed near the city of Neyshabur, killing about 320 people, injuring 460 others, and 5 others. damaged village. Another train accident occurred in 2016 that left dozens dead and many injured.

Iran has about 14,000 km of railways across the country. The rail system carried both people and goods across the country, especially in rural areas.

Iran also has about 17,000 annual road deaths, one of the worst traffic safety records in the world.