Three killed, hundreds injured in Iran 'fire festival'

At least three people were killed and hundreds injured in Chaharshanbeh Suri (fire festival) in Iran, an official said on Wednesday.

The dead were from Tehran, Qazvin and Rasht cities, Xinhua quoted an official from Iran's Emergency Centre as saying.

Out of 259 injured, eleven were women, the official said.

Iranians celebrated Chaharshanbeh Suri on Tuesday as a sign of farewell to the old year and a prelude to the new year.

The turn of year, according to the Iranian calendar, falls on March 20 which also marks the beginning of the spring in the country.