State media said on Saturday that a minibus carrying mountaineers in Iran crashed into a ravine, killing ten people.
According to state news agency IRNA, the incident happened on Friday in the East Azerbaijan province, close to the city of Varzaghan, according to the spokesman for the local emergency services, Vahid Shadinia.
According to the official, the minibus was traveling toward a tourist village in the mountainous area when it toppled for an unknown reason and plummeted into the ravine.
“Ten people including the driver were killed and eight were injured,” Shadinia said, adding that, “If the seat belts had been buckled, the number of victims would have been lower”.
Iran has one of the highest traffic death rates in the world despite typically well-maintained roads, in part due to poor driving practices and the impact of international sanctions on vehicle upkeep.
