A helicopter carrying Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and other local officials was involved in a “crash upon landing” in Varzaqan region of the country under poor weather conditions on Sunday, state media Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported, with a search underway and no news yet on his condition.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, Governor of East Azerbaijan province Malek Rahmati and others were also onboard.
“Some unconfirmed reports say that the helicopter carrying President Raisi has had an accident in East Azerbaijan province,” state television said, adding that rescue efforts were underway.
“The harsh weather conditions and heavy fog have made it difficult for the rescue teams to reach the accident site,” state TV initially said in an on-screen news alert.
The head of Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), Pir Hossein Kolivand, was quoted as saying by Iran’s Tasnim news agency that 40 rapid response teams from the IRCS are currently conducting search operations in the area where the helicopter carrying President Raisi was reported to have crashed.
Kolivand said that the “weather conditions are extremely unfavourable and the terrain is difficult to navigate,” but “we are making every effort to carry out the necessary actions.”
“We have utilised drones and aerial measures, but due to the poor weather conditions, aerial search operations are not feasible. The area is rugged and mountainous,” he added.
“We have also dispatched forces from specific provinces to ensure that more personnel are on-site.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s ISNA news agency reported that rescue teams have reached the crash site. They posted a video of rescue personnel on their X page.
The semi-official Fars news agency called on Iranians to pray for Raisi following the reports.
Raisi was visiting East Azerbaijan province on Sunday where he inaugurated a dam project in the company of his Azeri counterpart, Ilham Aliev, on the border between the two countries.
Raisi, 63, has been president of the Islamic Republic since June 2021.
He was in Pakistan on a three-day visit last month where the two sides committed to increasing the trade volume to $10 billion over the next five years and attempted to mend ties after tit-for-tat missile strikes in January.
This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.
