Bus crash kills at least 21, injures 34 in south of Iran

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — At least 21 people were killed after a bus overturned in the south of Iran, state media reported Saturday.

Masoud Abed, the head of Fars province’s emergency organization, said that 34 other people were injured in the accident to the south of Shiraz, the province’s capital.

Abed said that rescue operations are ongoing and that additional information and final figures will be announced after the operation is complete and detailed investigations have been carried out.

He added that the incident occurred at 11:05 a.m., and rescue forces were immediately present at the scene.

The cause of the incident is under investigation.

With nearly 17,000 casualties annually, Iran is among the top countries for road and street accidents. The toll is attributed to the disregard of safety measures, the use of old vehicles and inadequate emergency services.