The helicopter carrying President Ebrahim Raeisi went missing in a dense forest area in East Azarbaijan on Sunday, while bad weather conditions is hampering search and rescue efforts.
Media reports say an incident took place for one of the 3 helicopters carrying the Iranian President’ and his accompanying convoy on the visit to East Azarbaijan Province in northwest Iran on Sunday.
Mehr reporter’s follow-up on the news indicate that a few minutes ago, the helicopter carrying the president and foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian crashed in the foggy weather in the northern region of East Azarbaijan.
The president and his convoy were traveling the distance between Khodaafarin and Tabriz but their helicopter crashed in bad climatic conditions in the Dizmar forest and mountainous district between Uzi and Pir Dawood villages.
The bad weather conditions including heavy fog and rain are to blame for the helicopter crash.
There have been not confirmed reports on fate of the occupants on the helicopter in the incident yet.
The search and rescue team are approaching the site of the helicopter crashe, according to the latest reports.
Some local media at first reported that the chopper had made a hard landing due to the bad weather conditions.
Pakistani PM prays for Pres. Raeisi, other high-ranking Iranian officials accompanying him:
Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has sent out a message, whishing health and safety for the Iranian president and his accompanying officials in the helicopter incident.
Iraqi PM offers help to Iran amid helicopter crash:
The Iraqi government announced that Baghdad has offered to help Iran search for the missing helicopter carrying Iranian president and other high-ranking officials. Prime Minister of Iraq Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani said in a statement that “We are ready to help find the president’s helicopter.”
Azeri president offers assistance to Iran:
Azerbaijan is ready to provide assistance regarding helicopter incident involving the President of Iran, the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in post on social media.
The Friday Prayers Imam of Tabriz, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and some other ministers and high-ranking officials were accompanying the president Raeisi.
The rescue and search team are reported to have faced difficulties in reaching the site of the hard landing of the copter.
The interior minister Ahmad Vahidi has confirmed to the national TV that one of the copters of the president’s convoy had made 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. The work is under control,” 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,” the interior minister added.
Local Iranian media have reported that it was heavily raining in the area in Varzaghan District and it is hard for the rescue and search teams to walk in the dense fog.
