Bus and car collide in Iran, 10 killed

TEHRAN, Mar 29 (Reuters) A bus collided with a car and then plunged into a valley, killing 10 people and injuring 21 west of Iran's capital today, police said.

The passenger bus, which skidded on the slippery road after heavy rains, fell 30 metres into the valley in the area of Rostam Abad, 300 km west of Tehran, Hadi Hashemi, operation deputy of Iran's road police said.

Seven people were killed at the scene and three others died in hospital, he said.

Iran has one of the highest traffic accident death tolls in the world. More than 26,000 people were killed in accidents in the year to March 2005.

REUTERS SY RAI1809