Srinagar- A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian crashed on Sunday as it was crossing mountain terrain in heavy fog on the way back from a visit to the border with Azerbaijan, reports quoting Iranian officials said Sunday evening.
An official, quoted by Reuters, said the lives of President Raisi and Foreign Minister were “at risk following the helicopter crash”.
“We are still hopeful but information coming from the crash site is very concerning,” Reuters reported quoting an unnamed official.
The bad weather was complicating rescue efforts, the state news agency IRNA reported.
Late night reports from Tehran said National Security Council has convened an emergency meeting. One report said supreme leader, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei has also attended emergency meeting signalling the gravity of the situation.
The Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces informed that the armed forces of the country have joined the search operation.
Heavy rains and poor weather are hampering the efforts of rescuers to reach the site. Heavy rain with wind are being reported from the area.
State TV stopped all its regular programming to show prayers being held for President across the country and, in a corner of the screen, live coverage of rescue teams searching the mountainous area on foot in heavy fog.
The 63-year-old was elected president in 2021.
Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi confirmed the incident saying that a helicopter carrying the President made a hard landing in the city of Jolfa in the northwestern Iranian province of East Azarbaijan.
The helicopter was transporting President Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, East Azarbaijan Governor Malek Rahmati, Friday Prayers leader of Tabriz city Mohammad Ali Al-e Hashem and several other passengers when it encountered difficulties and was forced to make a “hard landing.”
The incident happened at Dizmar forest, between the cities of Varzaqan and Jolfa.
One hour after the incident, rescue teams reached the area and started search operations.
President of the Red Crescent Society Hossein Kolivand announced that forty emergency relief teams from six provinces of Tehran, Alborz, Ardabil, Zanjan, East Azarbaijan, and West Azerbaijan, have been deployed to the site of the incident and are currently searching the area, Press TV reported.
Fifteen Red Crescent K-9 teams (sniffer dogs) along with two Red Crescent drones are also searching the area for any trace of the helicopter carrying the Iranian President, he said.
Due to the adverse weather conditions and severe fog in the area, the Red Crescent’s rescue helicopters are currently unable to fly, and the teams are conducting a ground search of the area, he added.
Iran’s Emergency Services spokesman said that eight ambulances were sent to the region as heavy fog has made air rescue efforts impossible.
Babak Yektaparast told IRNA news agency that emergency medical teams, including technicians and doctors, were dispatched to the site immediately after the incident was reported.
He added that an emergency helicopter was also deployed to provide assistance, but was forced to return as it was unable to land due to heavy fog.
Two other helicopters carrying a number of ministers and officials reached the destination safely.
President Raeisi was returning from a ceremony to inaugurate a dam on the Aras River with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev.
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