Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian dead in helicopter crash
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, 63, was declared dead following a helicopter crash over the weekend, a senior Iranian official confirmed early Monday. Along with Raisi, his foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian was also killed.
Lok Sabha Voting Phase 5: All the latest news
Following Raisi's death, Iranian vice-president Mohammad Mokhber, 68, Iran's became the interim president.
Want a Loan? Get cash against your Mutual Funds in 4 hours
«President Raisi's helicopter was completely burned in the crash… unfortunately, all passengers are feared dead,» the official told Reuters.
Rescue teams braved blizzards and challenging landscapes overnight to access the crash site in East Azerbaijan province early Monday morning.
“We can see the wreckage and the situation does not look good,” the head of Iran’s Red Crescent, Pirhossein Kolivand, told state TV. “With the discovery of the crash site, no signs of life have been detected among the helicopter's passengers.”
According to Iranian state media, visuals from the scene indicated that the helicopter collided with a mountain summit, though an official explanation for the crash has not been provided yet.
Raisi had been at the Azerbaijani border on Sunday to inaugurate the Qiz-Qalasi Dam, a joint project. Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, who said he had bid a «friendly farewell» to Raisi earlier in the day, offered assistance in the rescue.
Legacy of Ebrahim Raisi
At 63 years old, Raisi assumed the presidency in 2021. During his tenure, he has
Read more on economictimes.indiatimes.com
