Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi Declared Dead In Helicopter Crash. Top Updates
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian have been declared dead after the helicopter carrying him and his foreign minister crashed on Sunday, reported Reuters, citing Iranian officials.
The rescuers, over 12 hours later, found the wreckage of the helicopter on Monday morning, however, the local media reported that ‘no sign of life’ has been detected at the crashed site.
Top updates on the helicopter crash
The helicopter crash incident took place near Jolfa, a city on the border with the nation of Azerbaijan, some 600 kilometres (375 miles) northwest of the Iranian capital, Tehran.
Reportedly, Raisi was reportedly returning from neighbouring Azerbaijan.
According to the local media, nine people were onboard the helicopter: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Governor of Eastern Azerbaijan province Malek Rahmati, Tabriz’s Friday prayer Imam Mohammad Ali Alehashem, a pilot, copilot, crew chief, head of security, and another bodyguard.
The local media reported that heavy rains, fog, and wind caused the helicopter crash, while some described it as a “hard landing.”
Following the reports of the crash on Sunday, the chief of staff of Iran’s army ordered all army and elite Revolutionary Guards resources to be used in search and rescue operations. During the early hours of Monday, several visuals on social media showed a rescue team wearing bright jackets and head torches huddled around a GPS device as they searched a pitch-black mountainside on foot in a blizzard.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate power with a final say on foreign policy and Iran’s nuclear programme, sought to reassure Iranians, saying there would be no disruption to state affairs.
Several global leaders expressed concern over the helicopter crash and offered to help in the rescue operations. Countries including Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Russia, Turkey, and the European Union offered their help. The EU also activated its rapid response mapping service to aid in the search effort.
The helicopter ‘Bell 212’ is used for police use, medical transport, troop transport, the energy industry and firefighting. According to its type certification documents with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, it can carry 15 people, including the crew, reported Reuters. It was first developed for the Canadian military in the late 1960s as an upgrade of the original UH-1 Iroquois.