EAST AZERBAIJAN PROVINCE, Iran – Rescue teams are searching for the helicopter carrying Iran’s President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi after it reportedly crashed Sunday amid heavy fog.
The president and foreign minister were flying through the mountains in the northwest of the country after a dam inauguration with the president of Azerbaijan.
The spokesperson for Iran’s Emergency Services said that the fog is making air rescue efforts “impossible.” The remote rugged terrain in the mountainous region near the country’s border with Azerbaijan has slowed the 46 rescue crews, eight ambulances, drones and sniffer dogs. Local media also reported heavy rain and cold temperatures in the area.
The interior minister confirmed on state-run TV that one of the helicopters of the president’s convoy was forced to make “a hard landing.”
“Various rescue groups are moving towards the site, but due to the fog and bad weather, it may take time to reach the area,” Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said. “There have been contacts with [the president’s] companions, but given that the area is mountainous and it is difficult to establish contacts, we hope that the rescue teams will reach the site of the incident sooner and give us more information.”
There have been no reports of the president’s condition. But, an anonymous official told Reuters that the president’s life was “at risk” and “we are still hopeful but information coming from the crash site is very concerning.”
“Two of the passengers of this flight communicated with the rescue forces, meaning that the accident was probably of low severity,” Iran’s Deputy President for Executive Affairs said in a statement.
Emergency medical teams of doctors were sent immediately to the site after the crash was reported.
Original article source: Thick fog hampers efforts to find Iran’s president after reported helicopter crash
EMEA Tribune is not involved in this news article, it is taken from our partners and or from the News Agencies. Copyright and Credit go to the News Agencies, email news@emeatribune.com Follow our WhatsApp verified Channel
