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A6 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 9 June 2022
Train derailment in east Iran kills at least 22, injures 87

By NASSER KARIMI care for those injured.
Associated Press State TV later aired images
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A from a hospital where the
passenger train traveling injured received treatment.
through eastern Iran struck One of those injured told
an excavator and nearly the broadcaster they felt
half its cars derailed before the train suddenly brake
dawn on Wednesday, kill- and then slow before the
ing at least 22 people and derailment.
injuring 87, officials said. The incident happened
The derailment near the some 50 kilometers (30
desert city of Tabas was the miles) outside of Tabas.
latest disaster to strike the The report said the crash is
Islamic Republic in recent under investigation.
weeks as Tehran struggles Initial reports suggested
under U.S. sanctions and the train collided with an
any return to its nuclear excavator near the track,
deal with world powers re- though it wasn’t immedi-
mains in doubt. ately clear why an exca-
The train, operated by the vator would have been
state-run Islamic Republic close to the train track in
Railway, carried some 350 the dark. One official sug-
people as it traveled from gested it could have been
the town of Tabas, some part of a repair project.
550 kilometers (340 miles) Iran’s President Ebrahim
southeast of Tehran, to the In this photo provided by Iranian Red Crescent Society, rescuers work at the scene where a Raisi offered condolences
city of Yazd. The route had passenger train partially derailed near the desert city of Tabas in eastern Iran, Wednesday, June over the crash and an-
began as an overnight 8, 2022. nounced an investigation
train out of Iran’s holy city Associated Press would be undertaken into
of Mashhad. explain how the disaster The state-run IRNA news Over a dozen people suf- its causes.
Based on images after happened in the rural agency gave the casualty fered critical injuries, with On Wednesday night, au-
the crash, it appeared the scrubland near a railway figures, citing emergency some transferred to local thorities ordered the ar-
train’s locomotive passed bridge. officials. hospitals, officials said. rest of six people alleg-
the excavator and the “Passengers were bounc- Rescue teams with ambu- Aerial footage of the desert edly involved in causing
later cars somehow hit the ing in the car like balls in the lances and helicopters ar- site of the disaster showed the crash, though they
digger and caused the de- air,” one unnamed injured rived in the remote area train cars on their side, with released no other informa-
railment, though authori- passenger told Iranian where communication is some rescuers running at tion about why they were
ties did not immediately state television. poor. the scene as they tried to suspected.q

Japan criticizes Russia for suspending

fishing pact

By MARI YAMAGUCHI sanctions against Moscow Russia. Matsuno acknowl-
Associated Press for its invasion of Ukraine, edged that Tokyo had not
TOKYO (AP) — Japan on raises concern about the made its latest payment for
Wednesday criticized Rus- safety of Japanese fish- the Sakhalin projects, but it
sia’s announcement that ing boats in the area. Prior wasn’t immediately clear if
it is suspending an agree- to the agreement, Russian it was related to the sanc-
ment allowing Japanese authorities had seized and tions.
to fish in waters near dis- sometimes shot at Japa- Matsuno said Tokyo will pur-
puted islands, as relations nese boats. sue negotiations to ensure
between the countries de- Chief Cabinet Secretary Hi- safe operations of Japa- Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno speaks
teriorate over the war in rokazu Matsuno said it was nese boats under the pact. during a press conference in Tokyo, Wednesday, June 8, 2022.
Ukraine. “regrettable that Russia “We will do our utmost to Associated Press
The fishing deal has been one-sidedly announced it protect the safety of the
in place since 1998 and is suspending the coopera- Japanese fishing opera- a fourth deal to decide Also Wednesday, Japan’s
allows Japanese fishing tion in this manner.” He criti- tion,” he said. catch quotas in each oth- Defense Ministry said four
boats to operate around cized Moscow for blaming The area is a rich fishing er’s economic waters is set suspected Russian fighter
the Russian-held Kurils, Japan’s failure to fund un- ground for pollack, Okhotsk for December. jets flew over the Sea of Ja-
which Japan also claims related development proj- mackerel and octopus. The territorial dispute has pan toward Japanese air-
and calls the Northern Terri- ects on Sakhalin, Russia’s The fishing safety pact is prevented the two coun- space west of the island of
tories, in exchange for pay- largest island in the Pacific one of four fisheries agree- tries from signing a peace Hokkaido on Tuesday night,
ments from Japan based and not part of the territory ments near the disputed treaty formally ending their causing Japan’s Air Self-
on catch quotas and other claimed by Tokyo. waters. Negotiations on World War II hostilities. Rus- Defense Force to scramble
conditions negotiated an- Japan has provided devel- two others one involving sia has already scrapped its fighter jets.
nually. opment funds for Sakhalin Russian salmon and an- peace treaty negotiations They did not violate Japa-
Its suspension, apparent- for years as part of its ef- other seaweed were set- with Japan in response to nese airspace, the ministry
ly in response to Japan’s forts to improve ties with tled earlier this year, while the sanctions. said in a statement.q