FajrPresident Raisi was returning from a ceremony to open a dam on Iran’s border with Azerbaijan when his helicopter crashed upon landing in Varzaqan region on Sunday.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, Governor of East Azarbaijan Province Malek Rahmati, Tabriz Friday prayer leader Hojjatoleslam Al Hashem and a number of others were also on board the helicopter.
IRNA correspondent says rescue and relief teams have been dispatched to the area and search operations continue.
Foggy weather and the impassability of the area has made the search operations difficult.
Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi told Iran’s state television that due to the tough weather conditions, it may take time for the search and rescue team to reach the site of the crash.
He expressed hope that the team will reach the site soon and convey more information.
Minister of Health Bahram Einollahi, who is also present in the area, has said that all the medical equipment, including ambulance buses, specialist doctors and surgeons have been dispatched to the area of the crash to help possible injured people.
President of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), Pir-Hossein Koulivand, stated that the number of relief teams in the region has doubled from 20 to 40.
He mentioned that the teams are facing challenging weather conditions and the area is difficult to access, but the search efforts are ongoing.
Koulivand added that the relief teams utilized drones for search operations, but the weather conditions have made it impossible to conduct aerial searches.
He mentioned that the teams are relying on rapid response forces in the region, which is a mountainous area approximately 2 hours away from Tabriz.
Babak Yektaparast, the emergency services spokesman, reported that the country dispatched eight ambulances to the area of the incident where the president’s helicopter crashed.
He noted that due to severe fog, air relief is not possible.
In an interview with IRNA, Yektaparast mentioned that emergency relief teams, including technicians and doctors, have been sent to the region since the accident was reported, and they are actively searching for the helicopter.
Emergency paramedics are also conducting ground searches for the accident location.
Foggy weather and the impassability of the area have made the search operations difficult.
