Location of president’s helicopter still unknown amid rescue efforts: IRNA
AMN / WEBDESK
A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and senior officials in northwestern Iran today suffered a crash with information awaited for potential injuries or damage.
This is reported by the official news agency of Iran IRNA. Further details are awaited. President Raisi was returning from a ceremony to open a dam on Iran’s border with Azerbaijan.
An extensive search and rescue operation is underway after a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was forced to make a “hard landing” in a mountainous region in northwestern Iran.
The incident happened on Sunday in Dizmar forest between the cities of Varzaqan and Jolfa in East Azarbaijan province as the president was returning from an event to inaugurate a dam with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev.
Iranian officials have spoken to two people on the same helicopter as President Ebrahim Raisi since it crashed Sunday, Iranian Vice President for Executive Affairs Mohsen Mansouri told the country’s semi-official FARS news agency.
Because officials made contact “several times” with a passenger and member of the flight crew shortly after the crash, “It appears that the incident was not severe,” Mansouri said.
Three helicopters were flying on the same route before two lost contact with Raisi’s helicopter, Mansouri said.
“The Ministry of Communications and other security agencies have identified the incident area within a 2-kilometer radius. Due to weather conditions, access to the area is challenging,” he said.
Local residents told IRNA’s reporter that they heard “sounds” in the region a while ago.
More than twenty fully-equipped search and rescue teams, including drones and sniffer dogs, have been dispatched to the area.
The Iranian Armed Forces have also deployed commando units and Special Forces to assist in the search operation.
Due to the rugged terrain of the region and the difficult weather conditions, particularly the thick fog in the area, the search and rescue operation could take some time, IRNA’s reporter said.
The spokesperson for Iran’s Emergency Services told IRNA that eight ambulances have been dispatched to the region, adding that heavy fog has made air rescue efforts impossible.
Babak Yektaparast said that emergency medical teams consisting of technicians and doctors were deployed to the site immediately after the incident was reported.
He added that an emergency helicopter was also dispatched to provide assistance, but was forced to turn back due to the heavy fog, as it was unable to land in the area.