Iran Train Derailment Kills Many, Injures Dozens

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy Nees

TEHRAN, IRAN (Worthy News) – At least 10 people were killed and dozens injured after three train carriages derailed between the towns of Mashhad and Yazd, Iranian state media reported Wednesday.

A passenger train derailed in eastern Iran early Wednesday, killing at least 10 passengers and injuring 50 more, Iran’s state television said.

The accident happened some 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the desert city of Tabas, on a rail that connects the town with the central city of Yazd.

Four of the seven cars in the train reportedly derailed in the early morning darkness.

Ambulances and three helicopters with rescue teams were arriving at the accident site in the remote area where communication is poor, reports said.

The accident underscored concerns about infrastructure and services in Iran, which has been hit by sanctions amid concerns about its human rights record and nuclear ambitions.

Another train crash in 2016 killed dozens and injured scores of people.

Iran also has some 17,000 annual deaths on its highways, one of the world’s worst traffic safety records, according to Arabic news reports. Besides poor infrastructure, the high toll is also related to a wide disregard for traffic laws, unsafe vehicles, and inadequate emergency services, observers say.

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