An eyewitness told Avatoday that he could count at least 30 people including the dead or the injured after the accident. Iran’s official news agencies reported that the number of people who have been wounded are four and that their wounds are not serious.
The government said the tanker was carrying oil from the Iraq’s Kurdish city of Kirkuk, adding that it was working for a private company and not for the state.
Iran’s revolutionary guards are known to be in control of oil business in the Iraqi Kurdistan, especially since the military group has gained control of the Kurdish city of Kirkuk with the help of pro-Iranian Shiite military group of Hashd-al-Shaabi last year.
According to Iran traffic law, tankers and trucks are not allowed to drive after 6 pm but the government has never been serious in imposing the law.
A report by UNICEF shows that Iran’s rate of traffic crashes is 20 times the world’s average due to the country’s poor roads and lack of traffic enforcement.