Kathmandu, May 20
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian died in a helicopter crash.
Their condition following the crash on Sunday was initially unknown. According to Reuters, quoting an Iranian official, the helicopter was completely burnt in the accident. Rescue workers reached the scene on Monday morning. The weather at the accident site was very poor, making it extremely difficult for the rescue team to reach the spot.
Turkey sent a drone to locate President Raisi’s helicopter. The Turkish news agency Anadolu published a picture of a significant heat source found in the area. Iran was informed about this information received from Turkey.
President Raisi, Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian, the Governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province Malik Rahmati, the pilot, security chief, and crew members were on board the crashed helicopter.
President Raisi had travelled to Azerbaijan to inaugurate the Kalasi and Khodafarin dams. Immediately after the inauguration, he headed towards the city of Tabriz. The helicopter crashed en route to Tabriz, the capital of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. The BBC reported that visibility at the crash site was very low. Rescue efforts were hampered by thick fog and poor visibility.
Various countries showed interest in assisting with the rescue. According to Russian state media, a team of 47 experts and a helicopter were dispatched to help. The UAE also offered assistance. Some Iranians are raising questions on social media about how the other two helicopters in the convoy arrived safely while Raisi’s helicopter crashed.
