Minibus overturns in Iran, killing 2 German tourists

TEHRAN, Iran – Iranian media say a speeding minibus has overturned on a slippery road, killing two German tourists and injuring 18 other people.

The semi-official ISNA news agency quotes Col. Ahmad Ahmadi, police chief of the southern Fars province, as saying that two of those injured are in critical condition.

Mohammad Reza Alimanesh, the head of provincial emergency services, says a rescue helicopter and eight ambulances have been dispatched to the site.

Road accidents in Iran kill or injure some 17,000 people a year. The high figure is widely blamed on poor enforcement of traffic rules, the presence of old and poorly maintained vehicles, and the lack of adequate emergency services.