Details added (first version posted at 14:01)
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 13
By Temkin Jafarov - Trend:
There were 29 Azerbaijani citizens in the bus, which burned down in Iran, Bahrouz Zare Mirzai, Iranian Foreign Minister's Spokesman in Ardabil Province told Trend on April 13.
Earlier Iranian ISNA news agency reported that the bus carrying Azerbaijani pilgrims to Iraq's Karbala city burned down in Iran's Ardabil Province.
Mirzai said that Azerbaijani citizens were returning from pilgrimage in Iran's Mashhad city.
He added that there are no Azerbaijanis among the pilgrims who suffered severe wounds and only passports of nine Azerbaijani pilgrims burned down in the fire.
Mirzai stressed that corresponding work has been conducted by Foreign Ministry's Representative Office in Ardabil jointly with Azerbaijan's Consulate General in Tabriz in order for Azerbaijanis, whose passports burned down in the fire, to return to Azerbaijan.
He also said another bus was hired by Foreign Ministry's Representative Office in Ardabil for Azerbaijani pilgrims and they will soon cross Azerbaijan's border.
Earlier the spokesman of Iranian Red Crescent Society, Hossein Derakhshan said some 41 people were injured as a result of the incident.
Derakhshan added the fire started on the bus at around 03:35 local time when it was heading to Zanjan province from Ardabil city.
Translated by E.A.