Iran Road Accident Kills 18, Including 15 Afghans

A road accident in Iran has killed 18 people after a truck smuggling fuel slammed into a sedan packed with Afghans who were being brought illegally into the country.

The semiofficial Fars news agency says the crash took place on Friday morning on the outskirts of the town of Rigan in southeastern Iran.

Fifteen of the dead were Afghan citizens who had illegally crossed the border into Iran. The remaining three victims were Iranians.

The report says the truck burst into flames after the crash.

Iran has one of the world’s worst traffic safety records, with more than 400,000 accidents and about 20,000 deaths on its roads every year. The high death tolls are blamed on high speed, unsafe vehicles, widespread disregard of traffic laws and inadequate emergency services.