Tehran: Iran’s President Ibrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister, Governor of East Azerbaijan Province, Ayatollah Khamenei’s Special Representative to Azerbaijan, and 4 members of the helicopter crew died in the accident.
The Iranian Interior Minister confirmed that the wreckage of the helicopter that went missing last night was found in a dense forest 100 kilometers from Tabriz, while all the bodies were badly burned.
Officials say some bodies were burnt beyond recognition. The 3 crew members of the helicopter who died in the accident were identified as pilot Colonel Syed Tahir Mustafavi, pilot Colonel Mohsin Daryanosh and flight technician Major Bahrozish.
Besides, Sardar Syed Mehdi Yousefi, the head of the team of Sadr Ibrahim Raisi’s bodyguards, was also present in the helicopter.
President Ibrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdullahian, Governor of East Azerbaijan Province Malik Rahmati and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s spokesman Mohammad Ali Al Hashim were also on board the helicopter.
According to Iranian media, all the people on board the helicopter died. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, expressing his heartfelt sorrow over the accident, announced a 5-day national mourning day across the country and appointed Vice President Mohammad Mokhbar as interim president for 2 months.
It should be remembered that the previous Iranian president was returning to Iran after the inauguration of a joint dam in the neighboring country of Azerbaijan, when the helicopter crashed due to bad weather and heavy fog.
Bad weather hampered rescue operations and it took hours to find the helicopter. The bodies were shifted to a hospital in Tabriz and are unrecognizable due to severe burns.
Many heads of state, including the United States, Russia, China, India and all Muslim countries, expressed their sorrow over the death of the Iranian president in a helicopter accident and expressed their heartfelt sorrow and condolences to the spiritual leader and people of Iran.
