A South Korean inspector working for the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was killed in a car crash, and his Slovene colleague injured, when their car overturned near central Iran’s Arak complex Tuesday, Iranian media report.

“The Agency has been informed that two of its safeguards inspectors were involved in a car accident in Iran earlier today,” the IAEA said in a press statement. “One of the inspectors, from the Republic of Korea, was killed; the other, from Slovenia, was injured. The Agency is in touch with the inspectors’ families, and with the Iranian authorities.”

Iran’s Fars News Agency reports:

A statement released by the public relations office of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) said the two IAEA experts were on a mission “in the vicinity of Khandab Complex in the Markazi province when the accident happened”.

The statement said “the car carrying the two skidded and overturned at around 12p.m. (0730GMT) Tuesday”.

 

“One of the two IAEA experts was injured, while the second one, namely Ok-Seok Seo from South Korea, died of severe injuries,” it added. …

 

The Associated Press report adds:

There were no immediate indications of foul play. But the crash is likely to undergo intense scrutiny.

The official Islamic Republic News Agency said the International Atomic Energy Agency inspector died when the car overturned around a heavy water reactor being built in Khondab, about 150 miles (250 kilometers) southwest of Tehran.

“With around 26,000 fatal traffic accidents a year, Iran has one of the worst records in the world for road safety,” the Guardian’s Saeed Kamali Dehghan writes.

(Photo: Iran President Ahmadinejad opens heavy water plant in Khondab, Iran, in 2006: AFP)