A fuel tanker explosion in western Iran has resulted in the deaths of 11 people and injured seven others, state media reported.
The incident occurred late Saturday when the tanker struck other vehicles near a traffic police station close to the Kurdish city of Sanandaj, approximately 400 kilometers (248 miles) west of the capital, Tehran. State media cited a faulty brake system as the cause of the collision.
The injured individuals were transported to local hospitals for treatment.
This is not the first fatal road accident of its kind in the region. In 2018, a similar incident involving a fuel tanker and a passenger bus near Sanandaj led to 15 deaths and four injuries.
Road accidents are a significant cause of fatalities in Iran, with over 17,000 deaths annually. Experts attribute the high casualty rate to factors including unsafe vehicles, disregard for traffic regulations, and insufficient emergency services.