Two journalists killed, 21 injured in bus crash in northwestern Iran

Two Iranian journalists have been killed and 21 others injured when a bus overturned in northwestern Iran.

The bus, carrying 25 journalists from the capital, Tehran, to West Azarbaijan Province, overturned near the province’s Naqadeh county on Wednesday.

They were planning to report on revitalization projects at Urmiah Lake.

The deceased journalists were identified as Mahshad Karimi and Reihaneh Yasini, who worked for ISNA and IRNA news agencies, respectively.

The injured were also transferred to a hospital in Naqadeh.

Tributes from top Iranian officials poured in after the demise of the two female journalists.

President Hassan Rouhani condoled with the bereaved families of the two deceased journalists and their colleagues in their loss, saying the incident caused deep sorrow and grief.

“While honoring the invaluable services of these hard-working journalists of the country’s media outlets, who had no other concern but to serve the Islamic homeland, I express my condolences to the bereaved families and members of the country’s media, and I ask God Almighty to bestow the highest of ranks [in heaven] to the deceased and grant immediate recovery and health to the injured,” Rouhani said in a message.

The president also ordered relevant officials to immediately identify the cause of the incident and produce a report on it.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif condoled with the bereaved families of the victims and voiced his deep sorrow via Twitter.

Other officials, including Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri and presidential chief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi, also expressed their condolences over the tragic accident.

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