Tehran, Nov 09: Two connected road accidents in central Iran have killed 33 people and injured 10 others, state-run radio reported today. A police official reportedly said that a crowded passenger bus collided with a truck on a stretch of road about 120 kilometers east of the central Iranian city of Yazd.
The official, identified only as Col. Khareq, said after the initial accident that a second truck smashed into the wreckage of the two other vehicles, killing some of the people injured in the first crash.
It was not immediately clear how many of the 33 fatalities died in each accident.
Khareq blamed the initial accident on the bus driver for crossing into the path of the oncoming truck.
Iran has one of the world's highest road accident rates, with more than 200,000 crashes reported annually. Accidents killed more than 21,000 people in 2002, the transportation ministry said.
The high toll is blamed on unsafe vehicles, disregard for regulations and inadequate emergency services.

Bureau Report