Helicopter carrying Iranian president still missing hours after crash: Rescue Team
One of the three helicopters in a convoy that had on board Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi crashed on Sunday, State TV has reported.
According to the country’s media outlet, the helicopter suffered a “hard landing” near Jolfa, a city bordering Azerbaijan, about 600 kilometres (375 miles) northwest of Tehran, the Iranian capital.
The State TV said, “Some unconfirmed reports say that the helicopter carrying President Raisi has had an accident in East Azerbaijan province.”
Disclosing that rescue efforts were underway, the news outlet added, “The harsh weather conditions and heavy fog have made it difficult for the rescue teams to reach the accident site.”
The Interior Minister, Ahmed Vahidi, told state TV that further details about the crash are still being expected.
The 63-year-old was in Azerbaijan with the country’s president, Ilham Aliyev, earlier in the day to inaugurate a dam, the third one both countries built on the Aras River.
The country’s IRNA news agency revealed that Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and the governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province are among other officials on board.
Their condition and that of the Iranian president are yet unknown.
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