"17 killed, 12 seriously injured" in Tabas train accident; death toll likely to rise

A passenger train from Mashhad to Yazd derailed on Wednesday morning, June 8, at kilometer 85 of the Tabas-Yazd line. The accident has left 17 dead and dozens injured.

Some passengers are "trapped" in train carriages and rescue workers are trying to rescue them.

The cause of the accident was initially stated to be a collision between the train and an excavator, but according to the special governor of Tabas, the train collided with a ramming machine on the tracks and "further investigations should be carried out to determine the exact cause of the accident."

The Islamic Republic of Iran Railways Public Relations Department said in a statement: "The train's collision with an excavator caused it to derail and this accident occurred."

In this regard, the deputy passenger railway officer said: "Based on initial information from the scene, at around 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday, five passenger carriages derailed when the Mashhad-Yazd passenger train passed through the Abbasabad-Rizo block in the Tabas region. This incident occurred due to a collision with an excavator at the scene."

The Islamic Republic of Iran Railways official added: "According to our information, this excavator was next to the track when its shovel hit the locomotive and passenger cars, causing five cars to derail."

However, the railway official also emphasized that the cause of the accident is still unknown and that the investigation into the incident is still ongoing.

According to ISNA, the train had 430 crew members and passengers.

According to Mehr News Agency, the incident has so far resulted in 17 deaths and 12 "critically injured" injuries, but the CEO of the South Khorasan Red Crescent Society has announced the number of injured at 40.

The number of victims and injured in this incident is likely to increase, as the Tasnim news agency has announced the number of injured to date at 50, with 15 of them reported to be in critical condition.

The head of the Yazd Provincial Emergency Organization also said: "Seven ambulances, one ambulance bus, and one helicopter were dispatched to the scene of the Mashhad-Yazd train collision."

Ali Akbar Rahimi, the special governor of Tabas, said about further details of the train derailment: "Four carriages overturned in this incident, and given that the carriages are still overturned and must be placed on the tracks by crane, several cranes have been dispatched to the scene from Tabas and Yazd, and there is a possibility that the number of deaths and injuries will increase due to the severity of the accident."

One of the passengers on the train told ISNA: "The train was moving when it suddenly braked hard. The braking continued until the passengers lost their balance and were hitting the surroundings like balls. The carriage overturned and the window of the carriage we were in broke, and we were able to get out of the train through this window."

Source: Radio Farda