The General Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces has released its preliminary report on the helicopter crash that tragically claimed the lives of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage.
According to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, a senior investigation committee comprising experts, specialists, and technicians arrived at the crash site on Monday morning. The helicopter crash occurred while President Raisi and his team were en route to East Azerbaijan province on Sunday.
The report indicates that the helicopter remained on its predetermined course throughout the flight and did not deviate from its planned route. Approximately one and a half minutes before the crash, the pilot communicated with the other two helicopters in the President’s convoy. No evidence of bullets or similar items was found on the wreckage, according to Xinhua news agency.
The helicopter reportedly caught fire after crashing into a mountain. The challenging terrain, along with fog and low temperatures, prolonged search and rescue operations until nightfall and throughout the night. The exact location of the crash was identified at 5 a.m. local time on Monday with the help of drones.
The report noted that no suspicious issues were detected in the communications between the watchtower and the flight crew. Further details are expected as the investigation continues.
Among those on board with President Raisi were Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, the representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader to East Azerbaijan. President Raisi was laid to rest on Thursday at the holy shrine of Imam Reza in his hometown of Mashhad.
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