Iran’s president and foreign minister have died after their helicopter crashed in a mountainous area of northwest Iran.
Rescuers found the chopper’s burned wreckage on Monday morning, more than 12 hours after it came down in bad weather.
“President Raisi, the foreign minister (Hossein Amirabdollahian), and all the passengers in the helicopter were killed in the crash,” a senior Iranian official told Reuters.
Iran’s Mehr news agency reported “all passengers of the helicopter carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister were martyred”.
State TV said it had smashed into a mountain. There has been no official word on the cause, but there was thick fog in the area.
“President Raisi’s helicopter was completely burned in the crash… unfortunately, all passengers are feared dead,” an official told Reuters.
Drone footage appeared to show the tail of the helicopter and scattered debris.
The search involving civilian and military teams had been hampered by fog and the remoteness of the crash site.
Five days of national mourning have been declared by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber has been put in temporary charge and new elections must be held within 50 days
Source:skynews.com
