At least ten people are believed to have died and dozens have been injured after a passenger train derails.

A train derailed in eastern Iran, killing at least ten passengers and injuring dozens more. Three helicopters and ten ambulances are transporting injured people to hospitals.

In Iran, a train derailed, killing at least ten passengers and injuring dozens more.

Emergency services are on the scene near Tabas, in eastern Iran, with fears that the death toll will rise following the crash, which appears to have been caused by the train colliding with an excavator.

Following the derailment of five carriages, three helicopters and ten ambulances are transporting people to hospitals, with 50 people injured, in addition to the ten killed, and 16 in critical condition.

Mehdi Valipour, who is in charge of the rescue operation, “At 5.30 a.m. today, the Tabas-Yazd passenger train was travelling on its route when it derailed at Mazino station.”

“Three helicopters from Birjand, Mashhad, and Yazd were arranged to help the rescue effort,” the Red Crescent Rescue Organization’s boss continued.

He went on to say that the train had 430 passengers and crew on board, and that the worst impact of the crash was on three carriages, which overturned.

“According to preliminary information,” rail official Mir Hassan Mousavi told, “the train’s passenger cars collided with an excavator and derailed.”

An investigation into the derailment is now underway.

“Three emergency helicopters and ten ambulances,” said Mojtaba Khaledi, the country’s emergency spokesman.