Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Others Killed in Helicopter Crash
All passengers aboard the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi have been confirmed dead, according to reports from Iranian state news channel IRINN and the semi-official Mehr News Agency.
Reuters also confirmed the incident, citing an Iranian official who stated that the helicopter was “completely burned” following the crash.
“President Raisi’s helicopter was completely burned in the crash… unfortunately, all passengers are feared dead,” the official said.
Search teams located the crash site minutes ago, as reported by state television. The head of Iran’s Red Crescent Society described the situation as “not good.”
Earlier on Monday, the Iranian Red Crescent Society announced that they had found the wreckage of President Raisi’s helicopter with the help of a Turkish Akinci unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
Pir Hossein Kolivand, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent, told local media that search teams were two kilometers away from the crash site.
Iran’s official news agency, IRNA, also confirmed the discovery of the wreckage, reporting the news on its Telegram account: “The location of the President’s helicopter has been found. Search and rescue teams have approached the site of the accident.”
Following the crash, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense deployed an Akinci UAV and a Cougar helicopter equipped with night vision capabilities to assist in the search.
President Raisi was returning from an inauguration ceremony for a dam on the Iran-Azerbaijan border when the accident occurred. Iranian state television reported that the helicopter made a hard landing.
Also aboard the helicopter were Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, East Azerbaijan Province Governor Malik Rahmeti, and Imam Ayatollah Ali Hashim of Tabriz Province.
Search and rescue operations continue despite adverse weather conditions, as reported by CNN, BBC, and Anadolu Agency.
