Iran: At least 17 people were killed and dozens injured after four train carriages derailed between the towns of Mashhad and Yazd.
A passenger train derailed in eastern Iran early Wednesday, killing 17 passengers and injuring dozens, state media reported.
The train was reportedly carrying 350 passengers. Ambulances and three helicopters with rescue teams were arriving at the accident site in the remote area where communication is poor, reports said.
What we know about the derailment
The derailment took place some 50 kilometers (30 miles) to the desert city of Tabas, on the rail that connects the town with the central city of Yazd.
Four of the seven cars in the train derailed in the early morning darkness, according to media reports.
A railway official told state news agency IRNA that the train crashed into an excavator before going off the rails.
Aerial footage showed train cars on their sides and rescue workers running at the disaster site as they helped the injured.
State TV also showed visuals from a hospital where the injured were receiving treatment.
Iran has railway lines spanning almost 14,000 kilometers (8,700 miles) throughout the country.
Iran saw its worst train disaster in 2004, when a train loaded with gasoline, fertilizer, sulfur and cotton crashed near Neyshabur, killing nearly 320 people and injuring 460 others.
Five villages were also damaged in the incident.