Mountaineers' minibus plunge kills 10 in Iran

Crash kills 10, leaves 8 injured; poor driving habits contribute to high traffic death rate

TEHRAN:

A minibus carrying mountaineers in Iran plunged into a ravine, killing 10 people, state media reported Saturday.

The accident occurred on Friday near the city of Varzaghan, in East Azerbaijan province, said the provincial emergency services spokesman, Vahid Shadinia, according to state news agency IRNA.

The minibus was heading towards a tourist village in the mountainous region when it overturned for an undetermined reason and fell into the ravine, said the official.

"Ten people including the driver were killed and eight were injured," Shadinia said, adding that, "If the seat belts had been buckled, the number of victims would have been lower".

Although its roads are generally in good condition, Iran has one of the world's highest traffic death rates partly because of poor driving habits, as well as the impact of international sanctions on vehicle maintenance.