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At least 12 people were killed in a bus crash in Iran on Friday, all but one of whom were schoolgirls travelling to the southern city of Shiraz for a sporting and cultural event, state media reported.

The driver was also killed in the bus that overturned at around 4am, the IRNA news agency cited Said Ejraie, the emergency services chief in Darab where the accident occurred, as saying.

Thirty other people were injured, and 13 of them were in serious condition, according to state television.

Despite its roads being in good condition, Iran has a poor record on traffic safety, with accidents caused by reckless drivers killing thousands of people each year.

According to UNICEF, the rate of road accidents in Iran is 20 times more than the world's average.