In a grim reminder of Iran’s ongoing road safety challenges, nine people lost their lives and 13 others were injured on Monday when a bus collided with a fuel truck near Zahedan in southeastern Iran, according to state media. Mohammad Mehdi Sajjadi, head of the Red Crescent Society in the region, confirmed the harrowing details to the IRNA news agency.
This devastating incident marks the second major road tragedy within days. Just this past Saturday, 10 people perished when a bus plunged into a ravine in Lorestan province.
Iran’s roads are notoriously dangerous, with over 20,000 fatalities recorded between March 2023 and March 2024, according to figures from the Forensic Medicine Organization. These grim statistics underscore the perilous conditions faced by travelers in the country.
Accidents involving buses have been particularly tragic in recent years. In August, 28 Pakistani pilgrims heading to Iraq lost their lives in a central Iran crash. Sistan-Baluchestan province, where Monday’s accident occurred, has also seen some of the nation’s worst disasters, including a 2004 collision between a gasoline tanker and a bus that killed over 70 people in a fiery explosion.
The latest accident serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for improved safety measures on Iran’s treacherous roads.
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