In Iran, 22 people reportedly injured after two trains collide in Tehran

One person is reportedly under critical condition and 22 others sustained severe injuries after two trains collided in Tehran on Tuesday, December 22. According to a report published by Sputnik, the collision occurred near the Chitgar Metro Station on Line 5 of the Tehran Metro. Security officials, along with the ambulance and rescue team, reached the site and rescued others who were stuck inside.

Meanwhile, the Iranian authorities have ordered a strict investigation into the matter. The authorities have also suspended the metro services between Tehran and Karaj until further notice, and security has been ramped up at the site. After the accident, roads around the area were closed to carry out rescue operations. As per reports, metro disruption is expected to be prevalent in the area for the next few days until clearance operations conclude.

Earlier, in a similar incident, two trains collided and caught fire in one of the country's remote regions in northern Iran. A passenger train operating from Tabriz in the northwest to Mashhad had stopped due to human error, and a passenger train behind smashed into the back of it. As many as 44 people were reported dead, along with 82 hospitalized. A massive collision on the same line between a passenger train and a freight train killed two people and left 30 injured in June 2014. 

Train collisions in Iran have been a frequent occurrence, as four incidents have been recorded, including a crash with a truck that left 30 people injured in the northern province of Mazandaran. Meanwhile, it is pertinent to mention here that Iran had witnessed one of the deadliest rail disasters in 2004, which killed 328 people. The train was transporting sulfur, petrol, and fertilizers when it exploded in northern Iran.

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