Over 20 killed, 36 injured as bus overturns in Iran’s Fars Province

A tragic bus accident in the southern Iranian province of Fars has claimed the lives of 22 people and left 36 others injured.

The bus overturned around noon local time in Kavar, located approximately 40 kilometres southeast of Shiraz, the provincial capital. The vehicle was carrying pilgrims from Qir-o-Karzin county in southern Fars en route to the holy city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran, Caliber.Az reports, citing Iranian media.

A senior local emergency official said that three teams of emergency and rescue workers rushed to the scene to assist the victims. Interviews with some of the injured at hospitals in Kavar and Shiraz revealed that the accident was caused by brake failure, according to the bus driver’s account just minutes before the crash.

One young male survivor described the incident: “The bus was travelling at high speed. We managed to pass two curves, but the third was difficult, and we hit the highway barriers.”

Of the 36 injured, 10 have been discharged from hospitals, while the remaining patients—including three in critical condition—are still undergoing treatment. Medical staff from Shiraz University of Medical Sciences have been deployed to provide psychological support to the victims’ families.

In response to the incident, Iran’s Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref has ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash.

By Khagan Isayev