Iran's president missing after helicopter crash

Published 20 May 2024 at 00.01

Foreign. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, 63, is missing after the helicopter he was traveling in crash-landed in a mountainous area. A massive rescue operation is underway in difficult weather conditions with dense fog and difficult terrain.

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President Raisi was traveling with two other helicopters when his crashed in the mountainous areas in East Azarbaijan, near the Azerbaijan border.

He traveled together with the country's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and several other high-ranking officials.

The situation for Raisi and the other passengers is feared to be life-threatening.

– We still have hope, but the information from the accident scene is very worrying, an authority source told Reuters.

BREAKING: SEARCH FOR IRAN PRESIDENT RAISI CONTINUE IN EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS#Raisi #Iran pic.twitter.com/ei7I4YnIbt

— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) May 19, 2024

A commander from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards told the IRNA news agency that signals from the helicopter and a crew member's cell phone were intercepted, which helped locate the site.

More than 40 rescue units, including drones, search dogs and ambulances, are involved in the search. Special forces from the armed forces are also participating, according to IRNA.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered two advanced aircraft, helicopters and 50 professional mountain rescuers to be immediately sent to Tabriz to help in the search for Raisi's helicopter, Tasnim reports.