Iran President’s Chopper destroyed; No evidence of life
“No survivors” were discovered at the crash site of the chopper carrying Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollhian, Iranian state media reported Monday.
“Upon finding the helicopter, there was no sign of the helicopter passengers being alive as of yet,” state TV said.
After hours of searching across steep terrain in harsh weather, rescuers discovered the wrecked chopper, which was nearly completely damaged. “President Raisi’s helicopter was completely burned in the crash,” a source told Reuters.
Chopper carrying President Raisi crashed on Sunday
On Sunday, the helicopter crashed in Jolfa, in the country’s hilly northwest. Raisi and the others were returning from a visit to Iran’s border with Azerbaijan when the event occurred.
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This generated instant anxiety and a huge search and rescue effort.
“The helicopter has been found. Now, we are moving toward the helicopter,” said Red Crescent chief Pirhossein Koolivand, adding “the situation is not good”, as quoted by news agency AFP.
At least 73 rescue teams arrived at the scene of the helicopter crash near the village of Tavil in Iran’s East Azerbaijan region, according to Pir-Hossein Kolivand, head of the Iranian Red Crescent, Tasnim said.
According to CNN, the chopper carried nine persons, including Raisi, Abdollahian, three Iranian officials, an imam, and flight and security team members. Malek Rahmati, the governor of Eastern Azerbaijan province, was one of the three officials present.
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Turkey provides aid to the neighbouring country
Turkey stated late Sunday night that it will send night-vision search and rescue helicopters and drones to Iran. They also said that they will be sending six trucks and 32 mountaineering search and rescue specialists to the border country.
According to The Telegraph, one of Turkey’s ‘Akinci’ drones has spotted a “source of heat suspected to be helicopter wreckage”. According to Iranian media, a fire has been detected, and emergency personnel are being dispatched to the ‘Tavil’ location. The Turkish drone’s coordinates were provided with Iranian officials.
Who is Ebrahim Raisi?
Raisi, a former conservative judiciary leader, was Iran’s ninth president. The former prosecutor and judge was elected in 2021 after a historically uncompetitive presidential race.
Human rights watchers say he oversaw a period of increased persecution of opposition.
If Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei approves, First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber will be next in line of succession.
Many Iranians believed Raisi was being groomed to succeed the ailing 85-year-old Khamenei.
