TEHRAN, Aug 21: At least 28 Pakistani pilgrims travelling to Iraq for a Shiite Muslim ritual were killed as their bus crashed in central Iran, state media reported early Wednesday.
"A bus carrying 51 Pakistani pilgrims overturned and caught fire in front of Dehshir-Taft checkpoint in the central province of Yazd on Tuesday night," Iranian state television reported.
It said "28 people have been killed and 23 injured so far with the possibility of the death toll increasing".
Yazd province crisis management chief Ali Malek-zadeh told the broadcaster that some of the injured were in critical condition.
"Of the 23 injured, six have already been discharged from hospital, while the condition of seven others is critical," Malek-zadeh said.
"The dead consisted of 11 women and 17 men," he added.
Head of Iran traffic police, Teymour Hosseini, cited "technical failure in the brake system" and the "high inclination of the road" as the reasons for the crash.
The Iranian and Pakistani foreign ministries expressed their condolences and sympathies to the families of the bereaved.
Pakistan's Foreign Office further said the consul of Pakistan in Zahedan has been asked to visit the accident site to ensure medical relief to the injured and arrange the repatriation of the dead bodies to Pakistan. —AFP
