At least 30 people have been killed in north-eastern Iran when a crowded passenger bus and a truck collided. At least 27 people were also injured, some critically, in the accident near the city of Gonabad, in the province of Khorasan. Police sources were quoted as saying the truck driver appeared to have lost control in the early morning mist. Iran has one of the highest rates of fatal road accidents in the world, with 21,000 deaths reported in 2002. On average, five people die every two hours. The high death toll is blamed on unsafe vehicles, dangerous roads and the drivers' disregard for traffic laws.