17 killed, dozens injured Iran train derailment

KABUL (Pajhwok): A train derailed after colliding with an excavator in eastern Iran on Wednesday, killing at least 17 people and wounding 50 others.

Carrying 348 passengers, the train went off the track between Mashhad and Yazd, the BBC reported. The death toll may increase, as several of the injured are said to be in critical condition.

Four of the train’s carriages were knocked off the line, Tabas Governor Ali Akbar Rahimi was quoted as saying by local media.

Mojtaba Khaled, a rescue service spokesman, told journalists a massive rescue operation was ongoing. Helicopters and ambulances rushed to the site.

State TV showed images from a hospital where the injured received medical treatment.

PAN Monitor/mud