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Iran's New Year marred by alarming road accident fatalities

Officials said an average of two Iranians have died per hour in the first week of the Nowruz holidays, galvanizing debates on the safety of domestically produced vehicles.
A picture shows vehicles blocked in traffic in the capital, Tehran, on March 9, 2022.

At least 323 Iranians have died and over 5,300 have been injured in road accidents over a period of one week during the national New Year (Nowruz) holidays, the country's Road Traffic Police commander Brig. Gen. Kamal Hadianfar has announced.

The figures translate into an alarming 40-plus deaths on a daily basis and nearly two per hour, he told the state broadcaster in an interview March 24.

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