A bus crash on the Esfahan-Natanz highway killed 13 people after an intercity coach allegedly veered into the opposite lane and slammed into a taxi on Tuesday, with Iran’s road police blaming suspected driver fatigue for the accident.
Emergency services said two passengers in the taxi and nine bus passengers died shortly after the accident. The crash also injured at least 11 others with multiple traumas, all of whom are currently in urgent care.
The Scania intercity bus, operated by the Royal Safar Isfahan company and travelling from Esfahan toward Tehran, overturned around 22:10 local time near kilometer 80 of the Esfahan–Natanz route, then collided with a passenger car, official media cited local police and provincial officials as saying.
The Iranian Red Crescent said the remaining occupants suffered injuries of varying severity and were taken to hospitals in Natanz, Shahinshahr and Isfahan.
Police account
A senior traffic police official told state media that the preliminary hypothesis is that the driver’s drowsiness and loss of control caused the bus to veer into the opposite lane, overturn and strike the car, but added that the final conclusion will depend on full technical and safety assessments.
Authorities said the scene has been cleared and traffic restored, while forensic and road-safety teams continue to inspect the vehicle, road conditions and possible mechanical factors.
Officials have said that if any negligence by the bus company, driver or other parties is confirmed, the case will be pursued through legal channels.
Iran’s Vice President on Tuesday in Tehran recalled a similar deadly accident in October in northern Iran, rejecting the driver fatigue theory.
“Is the driver to blame, when it’s apparently noted that this accident occurred about 20 minutes after he passed the police station? That would mean drowsiness, which is being raised as the issue, was not involved,” Mohammad Reza Aref said in a speech.
“A few months ago in Semnan we had a similar case, when they were going from the dormitory to class and the same thing happened and students were killed,” he added.
At least 26 students have died in 13 accidents involving university buses across Iran over the past decade, the daily Ham-Mihan reported earlier this year, reviving concerns about road safety and vehicle standards.
