A fuel tanker explosion in west Iran kills 11 and injures 7

In western Iran, a fuel tanker explosion claimed the lives of 11 individuals and left seven others injured, according to state media reports. The incident occurred near a traffic police station, close to the Kurdish city of Sanandaj, which is approximately 400 kilometers west of Tehran.

The explosion resulted from the tanker colliding with other vehicles prior to bursting into flames. State media cited a faulty brake system as the cause of the accident. This is not the first such occurrence; in 2018, a similar road accident involving a fuel tanker and an intercity passenger bus near Sanandaj resulted in the deaths of 15 people and injuries to four others.

Road and traffic accidents in Iran take an alarming toll, with over 17,000 fatalities annually. Experts attribute this high death rate to factors such as unsafe vehicles, disregard for traffic rules, and insufficient emergency services.