After India, now Iran!  A tragic collision between two passenger trains in Iran’s Semnan province killed over 31 people dead and left 70 others injured, including four railway employees.

According to the provincial governor in the region, an intercity express was struck by another train while it was stationary at the Haft-Khan station in Shahroud city that is 216 kms east of Iranian capital, Tehran.

Director General of the South-East Rail Road Hamid Darbagh Anbaran said that the train was heading to Mashhad in northeast of the country from the city of Tabriz in northwest province of East Azarbaijan when it collided into the stationary one.

The collision, that occurred early on Friday (November 25) led to derailment of four carriages, two of which caught fire.

Addressing the local media, State Governor Mohammad Reza Khabbaz said, “The bodies of 31 dead have been identified and more than 70 people hospitalised.”

Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said that over 100 passengers had been rescued, while Mostafa Mortazavi, a spokesperson for the Iran’s Red Crescent said that firefighters were at the incident spot immediately and were battling the flames.

Detailing the collision, Mortazavi said, “The accident happened when a passenger train in motion crashed to another one that had stopped at the station.”

While the authorities have launched a probe into the accident to ascertain the cause of the collision, rescue teams were engaged in the hunt for survivors at the station.

  Iran, Railway