24 Schoolgirls Killed in Iran Bus Accident

Twenty-four schoolgirls and two other people were killed when a bus overturned and crashed into a valley in the southwest of the country, Iranian media reported on Saturday.

Fourteen passengers survived the accident late on Friday on a road in Khuzestan province, Fars news agency said, adding that they were being treated in nearby hospitals.

Mehr news agency said 24 of the dead were schoolgirls.

State television quoted a police official as saying the driver was speeding on a slippery road under the rain.

Iran has one of the world's highest death rates from road accidents. Around 20,000 people die in traffic accidents each year, in a country of 75 million people and more than 17 million registered vehicles.