Iranian state television says a bus carrying pilgrims on their way to holy sites in Iraq has crashed into a warehouse in western Iran, killing at least 28 people.

Monday's reports say nine others were injured when the bus crashed near Ilam, some 710 kilometers southwest of Tehran. Officials blamed high speed and mechanical problems for the accident.

Iran has one of the worst road safety records in the world. Official statistics show that more than 26,000 people die in road accidents in Iran each year due to unsafe vehicles, disregard for traffic rules and inadequate emergency services.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.