Iran plane crashes into mountains, killing all 66 on board

Mohit Mohanan | Updated on: 18 February 2018, 17:05 IST

Aseman Airlines spokesman Mohammad Taghi Tabatabai told state TV that all of the passengers on the flight were killed. Around 60 passengers, including one child, and six crew members were killed in the plane crash. Due to foggy condition, rescue helicopters couldn't reach the crash site in the Zagros Mountains.

An Aseman Airlines ATR-72, a twin-engine turboprop used for short-distance regional flying, went down near its destination. It has been reported that the plane was flying from Tehran to the southern Iranian city of Yasuj, some 485 miles south of the Iranian capital. Tabatabai said the plane crashed into Mount Dena, which is about 1,440-feet tall.

Plane crashed into Mount Dena, which is about 1,440-feet tall

The Iranian Red Crescent said it has deployed to the area, which was quite foggy at the time of the crash. Aseman Airlines is a semi-private air carrier headquartered in Tehran that specializes in flights to remote airfields across the country. It also flies internationally.

Under decades of international sanctions, Iran's commercial passenger aircraft fleet has aged, with air accidents occurring regularly in recent years.

Following the 2015 landmark nuclear deal with world powers, Iran signed deals with both Airbus and Boeing to buy scores of passenger planes.

First published: 18 February 2018, 17:05 IST