A tragic incident involving a helicopter crash in Iran has been reported. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (63), Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other senior officials are reported to have died in the crash.
According to a Reuters report citing an Iranian official, rescue teams have located the wreckage of the crashed helicopter. There is little hope that President Raisi and his Foreign Minister have survived the crash in the mountainous region amidst snowy conditions.
Iran's Press TV posted on social media, "Rescue teams have identified the wreckage of President Ebrahim Raisi's crashed helicopter. No signs of any survivors have been found."
The President's convoy included three helicopters, two of which returned safely. However, the helicopter carrying President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, East Azerbaijan Province Governor Malek Rahmati, and religious leader Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem did not return.
An official told Reuters, "President Raisi's helicopter was completely burned in the crash... unfortunately, it is feared that all those on board have perished."
Rescue teams struggled overnight through a snowstorm to reach the wreckage of the helicopter, which crashed in the mountainous region of East Azerbaijan Province.
The rescue team managed to reach the crash site early Monday morning. Due to severe weather conditions, the rescue team took about 17 hours to arrive at the site.
Iran's Red Crescent Chief Pirhossein Kolivand told state media, "We have reached the crash site, and looking at the wreckage, there is no hope of any survivors."
The Iranian Red Crescent Society is a non-governmental organization in Iran. Its main activities include relief and rescue operations to help victims and the injured in natural disasters and accidents.
Since the incident, 40 different rescue teams were dispatched to the forests and mountainous areas. However, due to extremely poor weather conditions, reaching the area was very difficult, and access by air was not possible.
The mountainous terrain and geographical obstacles made communication with the team accompanying the President nearly impossible.
The exact cause of the helicopter crash will likely be determined once the rescue operation is complete. However, according to Iranian media reports, the initial cause is attributed to bad weather.
Reports suggest that the helicopter made a "hard landing" due to adverse weather conditions. According to the Tehran Times, the accident occurred because of dense fog. The crash happened near Jolfa, on the border of Azerbaijan Province, approximately 600 kilometers (375 miles) northwest of Tehran.
The helicopter crashed near the Sungun copper mine, located between Jolfa and Varzeqan in Iran's East Azerbaijan Province.
