Tehran, Dec 22 (AP) An intercity bus plunged into a ravine in western Iran on Saturday after the driver lost control of the speeding vehicle, killing nine passengers, state media reported.

A state TV report said six of the nine victims were killed immediately at the site of the accident in the Pa-alam area on the road linking the towns of Andimeshk and Pol-e-Dokhtar. Three more died in nearby hospitals and another 14 passengers were injured.

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The remote mountainous area is located some 450 kilometres southwest of the capital Tehran.

The official IRNA news agency said the passengers were soldiers who were travelling from the south to the west of the country. The bus was carrying 27 people.

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Police believe the driver was speeding and lost control of the vehicle.

Iran has one of the world's worst traffic safety records with some 17,000 deaths annually. The grave toll is blamed on widespread disregard for traffic laws, unsafe vehicles and inadequate emergency services in its vast rural areas. (AP)

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