The report said the number of casualties could rise, though initial details about the disaster involving a train reportedly carrying some 350 passengers remained unclear.
Four of the seven cars in the train derailed in the early morning darkness near the desert city of Tabas, Iranian state television reported. Tabas is some 550 kilometers (340 miles) southeast of the capital, Tehran.
Rescue teams with ambulances and helicopters had arrived in the remote area where communication is poor. At least 16 people suffered critical injuries, with some transferred to local hospitals, officials said.
The derailment happened some 50 kilometers (30 miles) outside of Tabas on the rail that links the city to the central city of Yazd. Photos from the scene, published by the Young Journalists Club associated with state TV, appeared to show train cars on their side as rescuers tried to care for the injured.
The report said the crash is under investigation. Initial reports suggested the train collided with an excavator near the track, though it wasn’t immediately clear why an excavator would have been close to the train track at night. One official suggest it could have been part of a repair project.
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