Iran’s President Ebrahim Raeisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and two other officials have been declared dead after their helicopter crashed in the mountains of northwestern Iran on Sunday.
The incident took place in East Azerbaijan province after President Raeisi and his accompanying delegation were returning after inaugurating two hydraulic dams on the border with Azerbaijan.
The helicopter had to make a hard landing due to inclement weather conditions – including heavy rain and dense fog – which made it difficult for search and rescue teams to carry out the operation.
The wreckage of the chopper was discovered by emergency rescue teams in the wee hours of Monday morning in dense forests nestled between the cities of Varzaqan and Jolfa in East Azerbaijan province.
Pir-Hossein Koulivand, head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), announced in televised remarks that no sign of life was found on the crashed chopper, ending all hopes of survivors.