A South Korean inspector working for the International Atomic Energy Agency has been killed and his colleague injured in a car accident in the Iranian central province of Markazi, according to the country's nuclear energy agency.

Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation confirmed the report published by the semi-official Fars news agency. "[The two were on a mission] in the vicinity of Khondab complex in the Markazi province when the accident happened," it said.

"The car carrying the two skidded and overturned at around 12pm on Tuesday," it added. "One of the two IAEA experts was injured, while the second one … from South Korea, died of severe injuries." The official Islamic Republic News Agency named the dead man as Seo Ok-seok. Later the IAEA issued a statement, which said it had been told an accident had taken place and that one of its inspectors had died.

"The agency has been informed that two of its safeguards inspectors were involved in a car accident in Iran earlier today," it said. "The agency is in touch with the inspectors' families, and with the Iranian authorities. The agency would like to express its condolences to the inspector's family."

With around 26,000 fatal traffic accidents a year, Iran has one of the worst records in the world for road safety.

Nuclear talks are scheduled to take place this month between Iran and the IAEA in Vienna. Also due – later this month in Baghdad – is the second in a series of meetings between Iranian officials and the P5+1 group, which includes the US, China, Germany, Russia, France and the UK. Iran's Arak nuclear facility, which hosts the country's heavy water reactor, is located in Markazi province.

The plant was officially inaugurated by Iranian authorities in August 2006, although its existence was initially revealed in 2002 when the US-based Institute for Science and International Security obtained satellite images of it.

Iran maintains that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes and has accused the US, other western countries and Israel in particular of being behind a covert campaign aimed at disrupting its efforts. In recent years, the programme has experienced a series of dramatic setbacks including assassinations of nuclear scientists and infection by Stuxnet, a computer worm.

Five assassination attempts in the past two years have resulted in the death of four nuclear scientists and experts and the wounding of another scientist, Fereydoon Abbasi-Davani, who was later promoted to the country's nuclear chief.

Tensions over Iran's nuclear programme have escalated since a November report by the IAEA which resulted in an oil embargo against Iran by the US and its European allies.

Under economic and political pressure from the west, Iran met the P5+1 in Istanbul in April after more than a year's standoff, claiming to have new proposals in hand. Both sides expressed optimism after the talks and agreed to hold a second meeting in Baghdad.

The Istanbul talks have, at least temporarily, toned down the war rhetoric between Iranian authorities and Israel.