10 killed as bus plunges into ravine in W. Iran

At least 10 people were killed and 17 others injured on Saturday as a bus plunged into a ravine in the western Iranian province of Lorestan, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

Just after noon, the provincial emergency medical services (EMS) received the report of the incident, which occurred on an intercity road in Poldokhtar County, Fars said, citing Ali Mohammadi, public relations director of the EMS organisation.

Nine of the victims died at the scene, while another was pronounced dead at the hospital, Mohammadi said, adding all the injured have been transferred to medical centers, reports Xinhua.

The EMS official noted that the bus with conscripts onboard was traveling from the southwestern province of Khuzestan to the western province of Kermanshah.

Chief of Lorestan Traffic Police Mohammad Zarei attributed the road accident to speeding and the driver's failure to control the bus, which carried 27 people.