Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran

Tehran, Nov 15: At least 12 people were killed and 16 others injured after a bus carrying employees of an oil and gas company overturned in Iran's western Ilam Province late on Saturday, according to Iranian state media.

The accident occurred on the road between Abdanan and Dehloran counties, near the Iraqi border. The bus was carrying employees of a natural gas liquids (NGL) company when it overturned, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.

Abdanan County Governor Behzad Nourmohammadi told IRNA that the injured were shifted to hospitals in Ilam, Dehloran, Dezful and Abdanan for treatment.

A total of 12 rescue teams comprising 32 personnel were deployed to the accident site. The emergency response operation also involved six ambulances and six support and rescue vehicles.

Authorities warned that the death toll could rise as some of the injured were in serious condition. The cause of the accident is under investigation.

Iran has a poor road safety record. Traffic accidents claimed nearly 20,000 lives in the 12 months leading up to March, according to figures released by the official Iranian Legal Medicine Organization in June.