Nine Dead After Bus Overturns at Azad University; Six Injured in Critical Condition

Due to the overturning of a bus at the Science and Research Unit of Azad University in Tehran, which occurred on Tuesday, December 25, nine people have died, and the condition of six of the injured is critical. No official report has yet been released regarding the cause of the accident, but some reports suggest that the cause of this deadly incident was a 'driver's heart attack,' while others refer to 'brake failure' of the bus. According to the IRNA news agency, 24 of the injured have been transferred to medical facilities. Meanwhile, Peyman Saberian, head of Tehran's emergency services, announced that the condition of seven of the hospitalized victims is 'critical,' with two undergoing surgery and five others in intensive care. He later reported that one of the injured, named Sara Radmanesh, died at Rasoul Akram Hospital, bringing the death toll to nine. Some sources had previously indicated that a 'heart attack' of the bus driver was the cause of the incident. However, Hassan Abbasi, the public relations manager of Tehran's emergency center, stated, 'The driver's heart attack has not yet been confirmed by us, and the cause of his death, which occurred in the accident, is under investigation.' In the meantime, an unnamed student interviewed by Borna news agency said, 'This bus had an accident yesterday due to brake failure. Apparently, it overturned today for the same reason.' Hassan Abadi, deputy of Tehran's traffic police, also announced that this bus collided with a concrete wall on the side of the mountainous university route for 'unknown reasons' and subsequently overturned. He stated that the investigation into the cause of this incident is ongoing. Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, the Attorney General of the country, also instructed the Tehran prosecutor to have the investigator of this case 'look into the matter and report the results.' IRNA reports that the Tehran prosecutor has announced that two people have been arrested in connection with this incident. According to reports, students travel a seven-kilometer route within the Science and Research Unit of Azad University, which is located in a mountainous area, by bus. Meanwhile, Shahbanu Amani, a member of the Tehran City Council, has asked, 'Why was the route not safe? Why were there no guardrails? Why were there no speed bumps?' The death of this number of students due to a traffic accident within the university grounds is unprecedented. In past years, however, several students from Iranian universities have died in bus accidents during trips outside the university. For instance, in March 1998, seven students from Sharif University of Technology, who were returning from a mathematics competition at Chamran University in Ahvaz, were killed when their bus overturned. Maryam Mirzakhani, an Iranian mathematician, was a survivor of this incident.