TEHRAN: A bus accident in Yazd, Iran, claimed the lives of at least 35 Pakistani pilgrims and injured 15 others.
Iranian media report that the ill-fated bus overturned and caught fire near the Taftan-Dehshir checkpoint.
Maulana Qamar Abbas Naqvi, a member of a peace committee in Larkana, stated that at least 30 people died on the spot, while five others succumbed to their injuries at the hospital. He stated that the 15 injured are in critical condition.
On the other hand, Iran’s Official News Agency reported that the death toll from the accident was 28, with an emergency declared in hospitals across the city to treat the injured.
The bus, carrying 53 passengers, met with the accident last night. Police and rescue officials quickly arrived at the scene and transported the bodies and injured to the hospital.
According to details received from sources earlier today, the bus was carrying over 50 passengers, including 14 women. They added that 10 passengers were from Khairpur, while six were from Kashmore.
Speaking to a private TV channel, Maulana Shah Murad Sharifi, a Qom seminary student from Larkana, said the pilgrims’ convoy consisted of two buses, each carrying around 52 passengers.
Elaborating on the current situation, he mentioned that aside from five to six people with minor injuries, most of the passengers from the ill-fated bus were in critical condition and were receiving treatment at a local government hospital.
When asked about the cause of the fatal accident, Sharifi said he had heard people mention that the vehicle’s brakes had failed before the incident.
