22 Feared Dead After Train Derails In Iran

Iran, Tehran - At least 22 people were killed and 100 more were injured when a train derailed in eastern Iran, state media reported. 

The train, which was carrying about 350 passengers, derailed about 50 km from Tabas on the Mashhad-Yazd link. 

The train collided with an excavator along the tracks, according to the deputy head of Iran's railways. 

With many of the injured in critical condition, emergency services fear the death toll could rise, BBC said. 

Mehdi Valipur of the Iranian Red Crescent informed state television that five of the 11 carriages had derailed. 

As per Moitaba Khaled, a spokesman for the national emergency services, three helicopters, and 24 ambulances were dispatched to the scene following the incident, which occurred around 05:30 local time (01:00 GMT). 

According to official information, the cause of the deadly train derailment in the northeast of the country on Wednesday morning was the human error of an excavator driver. 

Mohammad Hassan Esmaili, Chairman of the High Commission for Accidents, said that an investigation into the cause of the derailment of the Mashhad-Yazd passenger train is still underway, but that "for unknown reasons, the excavator driver did not keep his vehicle at a safe distance from the railway and caused the incident.

"He further said that the excavator driver is in critical condition and that he has no idea what went wrong. 

A witness, Saeed Ahmed Kurd, said he was trying to collect money from people on the platform when he learned about the deadly tragedy.