Passenger Train Derails In Iran Killing 21, Several In Critical Condition
At least 21 people died when a passenger train derailed in eastern Iran on Wednesday, Fars news website reported, while 60 passengers were seriously injured.
At least 21 people died when a passenger train derailed in eastern Iran on Wednesday, Fars news website reported, while 60 passengers were seriously injured.
The head of the country’s emergency services said 15 injured passengers are in critical condition in hospitals in southern Khorassan province, according to ISNA. Other officials have put the number at around five people.
The train with 430 passengers and crew travelling to the city of Yazd collided at 5:30 am local time with an excavator before going off the rails 50 km (30 miles) from the city of Tabas, where it began its journey, a railway official told state news agency IRNA.
"Ten ambulances are at the accident scene and another 12 are on their way," the crisis management chief of the province of South Khorasan told the agency.
One reporter from Tehran tweeted that Iran has invested very little in maintaining and modernizing its rail system in the past 15 years.
Mehrabian made the remarks from the Qatari capital Doha on Monday, adding that the Iran Trade Center will be launched in a prestigious building in one of Doha’s top neighborhoods.
“The permit for this center was issued today and one of the best buildings in central Doha, in a very good location, was allocated to the center,” he said.
An Iranian delegation headed by Mehrabian attended the eighth meeting of the Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation between Iran and Qatar in Doha on Monday, where the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding to increase bilateral economic and trade cooperation.
The document was signed by Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani, the chairman of Qatar’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and his Iranian counterpart Gholam Hossein Shafeie.
Head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization Alireza Peyman-Pak said during a meeting with Iranian businessmen in Doha on Tuesday that an exhibition will also be held in Iran to showcase Qatar's trade capabilities.
In May, The Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, expressed hope that an agreement between the United States and Iran could be achieved, saying Doha is ready to help resolve the conflict.
Qatar’s ruler visited Tehran a week earlier and held meetings with President Ebrahim Raisi and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
