19 People Killed in Iran Bus Crash as Moderate Quake Jolts Country’s East
At least 19 people have been killed in Iran's south after the bus they were travelling on struck a rock and flipped over, the state news agency said Sunday.
IRNA said the accident took place some 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of the southern Iranian city of Shiraz.
It said around 25 passengers were injured and transferred to local hospitals. Five of them are in serious condition.
Iran has one of the worst road safety records in the world. Statistics say that more than 20,000 people lose their lives in road accidents every year in the country.
The high toll is blamed on disregard of traffic rules, unsafe roads and poor emergency services.
Also Sunday, IRNA said a quake hit a district near the town of Qaen in the east before dawn and that there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
Last month, twin earthquakes struck northwestern Iran and claimed the lives of more than 300 people, injured thousands and left several thousand homeless.
Source: Associated Press
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/52141 |