Tehran: More than 200 people were killed and 350 injured today (Feb 18, 2004) when runaway rail wagons loaded with sulphur, petrol and fertiliser derailed and exploded in Northeast Iran, the State news agency IRNA reported.

"Five villages were destroyed. The number of the people killed in this incident is more than 200," the head of disasters in Khorassan province, Vahid Barakchi, was quoted as saying.

"The level of this is massive and beyond our preliminary assessments. Our rescue workers are trying to remove more than 350 injured people to hospitals in Mashhad and Neyshabour. The explosion happened at a time when the fire fighters and the rescue workers were trying to put out the fire," the official said.

"A number of the fire fighters and local villagers were killed in the explosion." The massive blast occurred near the town of Neyshabour, and was heard in the regional centre of Mashhad some 75 kilometres away, IRNA said.