At least 42 casualties as bus overturns in southern Iran

At least 15 people were killed and 27 others injured when a passenger bus overturned near Shiraz in southern Iran on Saturday, according to Iranian state media.

The incident occurred in the Fars province, with the vehicle reported to have overturned on a road south of Shiraz, the provincial capital. State-run IRNA quoted Masoud Abed, head of the province’s emergency medical services, confirming the casualties.

“Fifteen people have been confirmed dead and 27 others sustained injuries,” Abed said, adding that 11 ambulances and two ambulance buses were dispatched to the site to assist in rescue operations.

Local authorities did not immediately provide further details on the cause of the crash.

However, Iran has long struggled with one of the highest rates of road fatalities globally, with an estimated 17,000 deaths annually linked to road and traffic accidents.