Source: BBC
Three more victims identified from helicopter crash
The names of some of those killed in the helicopter crash besides Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian have now been released.
The IRNA state news agency says that also on board were Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Al-e Hashem, the imam for Friday prayers in the city of Tabriz, and General Malek Rahmati, the governor of the Iranian province of East Azerbaijan.
The commander of the president’s protection unit, Sardar Seyed Mehdi Mousavi, was also killed, as were a number of bodyguards and helicopter crew who have not yet been named.
Iran’s president and foreign minister killed in helicopter crash – state media
President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and several others are confirmed to have been killed in Sunday’s helicopter crash in north-western Iran, state TV says.
Some Iranian media reporting President Raisi has died – no official confirmation
Some Iranian media are reporting that President Ebrahim Raisi is dead, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and the others on board the helicopter.
They include the Mehr and Tasnim news agencies.
However there has been no official confirmation of this.
No sign of life
There is “no sign” of life coming from President Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter, state TV says.
Reuters has also reported that the helicopter was “completely burned” in the crash, citing an Iranian official.
“President Raisi’s helicopter was completely burned in the crash… unfortunately, all passengers are feared dead,” the official said.
Rescuers will reach helicopter ‘in a few minutes’ – state media
Rescuers will reach the helicopter location in “a few minutes”, the head of Iran’s Red Crescent Society Pirhossein Kolivand has told state media.
He said that they were approximately 2km from where the hard landing is thought to have taken place.
Search teams locate wreckage site
Search teams have found the crash site of the helicopter carrying President Ebrahim Raisi, state TV says.
The head of Iran’s Red Crescent society has told state TV that the situation is not “good”.
