The incident occurred this morning near a desert town (Photo: AFP)

At least 17 people were killed and more than 50 injured in a train crash in Iran this morning.

Local governments have warned that disasters in the eastern part of the country could result in a higher number of deaths.

An estimated 350 people were on board when seven of the seven carriages derailed on four train tracks near the desert town of Taba.

The exact cause of the accident is still unknown, but it is speculated that it may have collided with an excavator.

Ambulances, helicopters and other rescuers have reached the area 340 miles east of the poorly connected capital of Tehran.

Authorities said more than a dozen people were seriously injured and some were taken to a local hospital.

Iranian media reportedly quoted Governor Ali Akbar Rahimi of Tapas as saying. He said the accident would kill at least 17 people and could increase as rescue teams search for train vehicles.

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Aerial footage of the disaster shows a train vehicle with several rescuers traveling to the scene and trying to treat the injured.

State television later broadcast footage from the hospital, telling the station that one of the injured felt the train had suddenly braked and then slowed before derailing.

An unidentified passenger added: “The passengers in the car jumped into the air like a ball.”

The derailment occurred about 50 km (30 miles) from Tabashi on the highway connecting to the central city of Yazd.

It was unclear why the bulldozer was near the rails at night, but a source said it could have been part of a repair project.

Partially derailed train in Taba (Photo: AFP)

At least 17 people die when derailing trains in Iran

4 derailed vehicles

At least 17 people die when derailing trains in Iran

One passenger explained that he was shot “like a balloon in the air.”

The report indicates that investigations into the disaster are underway.

Iran’s worst train accident occurred in 2004, when trains loaded with gasoline, fertilizer, sulfur and cotton collided near the historic city of Nasable, killing 320 people, injuring 460 and damaging five villages.

The country has approximately 8,700 miles of passenger and freight rail.

However, around 17,000 people are killed each year in Iran, making it one of the worst road safety records in the world.

Large losses are caused by non-compliance with traffic regulations, dangerous vehicles and inadequate ambulance service.

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