Nighttime Student Trips Suspended

The Ministry of Education announced the suspension of nighttime student trips following the death of 9 students from Hormozgan in a bus overturning incident. According to ISNA news agency, Mehdi Faiz, the cultural and educational deputy of the Ministry of Education, stated on Sunday, September 3, that nighttime trips for students are 'currently prohibited' unless conducted via 'rail or air transport.' A 'special task force' has been assigned to review and amend the regulations for organizing student trips with a focus on increasing safety for students during group travels, to be completed within a month. Early on Friday, September 1, a bus carrying 45 passengers, including Hormozgani female students heading to a national camp in Shiraz, overturned, resulting in 9 fatalities and many injuries. The provincial crisis management director of Fars stated that the deceased included the driver, the supervisor of the students, and seven students. According to Mehr news agency, some of the injured are in critical condition, with reports of two amputations and one spinal injury. Meanwhile, the deputy treatment director of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences reported that 6 Hormozgani students from the bus accident are still hospitalized and receiving treatment. Dr. Abdolkhalegh Keshavarzi mentioned that the general condition of five of these students is good, and some have fractures for which orthopedic belts and mobility aids have been provided free of charge. He noted that one student, despite having a suitable level of consciousness, still requires special care to recover from brain injuries. The deputy treatment director also commented on one student in Darab with spinal injuries, stating that doctors confirmed spinal damage but the student has shown improvement. Regarding two hospitalized students in Shiraz receiving intensive care, he added that due to severe injuries, one of them has undergone an amputation. The initial cause of the accident was reported as driver drowsiness; however, the head of the road police stated that since the driver had only been behind the wheel for about an hour, the cause of the accident is still unclear. Consequently, media reported on Sunday that the Ministry of Education has also begun the work of a 'special team' to prepare a report on the organization and planning of student trips along with the causes and factors leading to the incident. Following this event, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also ordered the revision of student trip guidelines. A member of the Civil Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly announced on Saturday, September 2, that the ministers of education and roads would be summoned to the commission to investigate the cause of the bus overturning incident involving Hormozgani students. According to the House of Nation news agency, citing Hossein Hashemi Takhti Nejad, a report on the causes of this incident will be read in the open session of the parliament. Expressing regret over the loss of 'elite' Iranian students in such incidents, he added that 'the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, especially the Road Maintenance Organization, and the Ministry of Education must be accountable for the occurrence of this tragic incident.' This parliament member also stated that the organizers of the Hormozgan student trip 'must explain why permission was granted for the bus to travel at night, as no student travel should occur at night according to the guidelines and regulations.' He noted that the Road Maintenance Organization is another body that must be accountable for this incident, as 'weak oversight of driver conditions has led to the accident.' Following this incident, Mahmoud Ghaibi, the head of the student organization in Hormozgan, resigned from his position, which was accepted by the Ministry of Education. Previously, Hamid Bonayee, another member of the Civil Commission, in an interview with Fars news agency, emphasized the 'sanctity' and 'value' of human life, calling for government transparency regarding this incident and suggesting that 'at least those responsible should face penalties.' According to ISNA news agency, Mohammad Javad Abtahi, a member of the Education and Research Commission of the parliament, criticized the road police, stating, 'The road police should stop buses that are in convoys and thoroughly check everything. The road police have only learned to stamp documents and do not address driver drowsiness, smoking, or drug use.' In recent years, dozens of students participating in school trips have been killed in traffic accidents. For instance, in 2012, an accident involving a bus heading to war zones from the Iran-Iraq war known as 'Raheian Noor' resulted in the deaths of 26 female students from Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. Last year, a bus carrying students from Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari overturned on the way back from Mashhad, resulting in the deaths of two students. Iran is one of the most accident-prone countries in the world regarding driving. According to a report published by the Central Insurance Research Institute of Iran, among 190 countries, Iran has the highest road mortality rate after the African country of Sierra Leone.