In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, rescuers conduct a rescue operation at the site of a mudslide following days of heavy rain from tropical cyclone Saudel in Suichuan County of Ji'an City, east China's Jiangxi Province on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (China Anneng Group Second Engineering Bureau Co., Ltd./Xinhua via AP)

2026-09-06T06:02:06Z

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A fuel tanker exploded in western Iran, killing 11 people and injuring seven others, state media said.

IRNA reported late Saturday that the tanker hit other cars before bursting into flames near a traffic police station close to the Kurdish city of Sanandaj, some 400 kilometers (248 miles) west of the capital, Tehran. The report cited a faulty brake system.

The injured were transferred to hospitals.

In 2018, a similar road accident between a fuel tanker and an intercity passenger bus near Sanandaj killed 15 people and injured four.

Road and traffic accidents annually leave more than 17,000 dead in Iran. Experts blame the high fatality rate on unsafe vehicles, disregard for traffic rules, and inadequate emergency services.