Bus and truck collision in Iran kills 26

TEHRAN, July 27 (Reuters) A bus and a truck collided head-on in Iran's Gulf province of Hormuzgan, killing 26 of the bus passengers and injuring 13, state radio reported today.

''The truck driver, who survived the crash, had a positive blood test for addiction,'' Mohammad Khareq, spokesman for the traffic police told state radio.

''He caused the accident as he was in a lowered state of consciousness,'' he said.

One person dies every 20 minutes on Iran's dangerous roads.

Iran has historically had high levels of opiate usage, lying on the main trade route from Afghanistan. The government has tried to tackle the problem with rehabilitation clinics and by fortifying the eastern borders.

REUTERS RL ND2254