At least nine people lost their lives, and 13 others were injured on Monday in a tragic collision between a bus and a fuel truck in southeastern Iran. The accident occurred near Zahedan in the Sistan-Baluchestan province, according to Mohammad Mehdi Sajjadi, head of the Red Crescent Society for the region.
This marks the second major road accident in Iran within days. On Saturday, 10 people died when a bus plunged into a ravine in the western Lorestan province.
Iran has a troubling record of road safety, with over 20,000 fatalities recorded in accidents between March 2023 and March 2024, according to data from the judiciary’s Forensic Medicine Organisation.
In another major incident earlier this year, 28 pilgrims traveling to Iraq died in a bus crash in central Iran in August.
The impoverished province of Sistan-Baluchestan, which shares borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan, has experienced some of the country’s deadliest road accidents. One of the most devastating occurred in 2004, when a gasoline tanker collided with a bus, igniting a massive fire that claimed the lives of more than 70 people.
Authorities continue to address the ongoing challenges posed by poor infrastructure, reckless driving, and aging vehicles, which contribute to Iran’s high road accident rate.
