At least 17 people were killed in a train accident in Iran on Wednesday. Several dozen other passengers were injured in the accident near the town of Tabas, Iran’s ISNA news agency said, citing the Red Crescent.
As a result, the train derailed on the route between the pilgrimage city of Mashhad and the desert city of Yasd. There are fears of a larger number of victims, according to the organization. The exact cause of the accident was initially unclear.
Five of the seven wagons derailed
Photos and aerial footage (see video above) show derailed wagons amid dust. Rescue workers rushed to the accident site, about 50 kilometers outside Tabas. Helicopters were also deployed to rescue the seriously injured. Several hundred passengers were said to have been on the train. According to the national aid and rescue organization, five of the seven wagons have jumped off the track.
The accident is reminiscent of a serious train crash in 2016 that killed and injured dozens of people in northeastern Iran. At the time, rescue work was also complicated by the fact that the accident site was in a remote area. Iran’s worst rail accident occurred in 2004, when a freight train carrying chemicals exploded near Nishabur, killing more than 300 people.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
