Jump to content

2024 Varzaqan helicopter crash

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Family27390 (talk | contribs) at 15:41, 19 May 2024. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

2024 Varzagan helicopter crash
Date19 May 2024; 60 days ago (2024-05-19), Template:Approx
SiteVarzaqan, Iran
Flight originIran
DestinationTabriz, Iran
Passengers4
Missing4

On 19 May 2024, a helicopter crashed[1] in Varzagan, Iran, while en route to Tabriz. The helicopter was carrying Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, governor of East Azerbaijan Malek Rahmati, and Supreme Leader representative in East Azerbaijan Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem. Forty rescue teams are currently trying to locate the helicopter,[2] which, according to reports, crashed in the Dizmar Forest area.[3] The helicopter's location and the condition of the passengers remains unknown.[4]

The incident took place while Raisi was traveling in Iran's East Azerbaijan province, near the city of Jolfa, situated on the border with Azerbaijan.[4][5] Iranian TV reports that rescue operations are encountering difficulties due to the dense forest terrain, compounded by adverse weather conditions such as heavy rain, fog, and strong winds.[4] To aid in the search for the helicopter, drones, search-and-rescue teams, and specially trained dogs have been mobilized.[6]

An Iranian official told Reuters that the lives of Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian were at risk.[5]

Background

Earlier on 19 May, Raisi had been in Azerbaijan to inaugurate the new Qiz Qalasi dam, alongside President Ilham Aliyev. This dam marks the third collaborative project between Iran and Azerbaijan on the Aras River.[4][7]

According to Iranian law, in the event of the president's death, the first vice president (currently, Mohammad Mokhber), temporarily replaces him. An election must be conducted within six months.[1]

Incident

On 19 May 2024, a helicopter carrying Raisi, foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, governor of East Azerbaijan Malek Rahmati, and Supreme Leader representative in East Azerbaijan Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem[8] departed with two other helicopters in a convoy.[1]

Weather conditions

Heavy fog is affecting search-and-rescue operations in Varzagan.[6]

Flight

At approximately 1:30 p.m. IRST, the helicopter carrying Raisi crashed.[1]

Impact and emergency response

According to Al Jazeera, the helicopter crashed near the Sungun copper mine.[9] The helicopter's exact location and condition are unknown.[4] According to IRNA, based on accounts from local residents, the helicopter crashed in the Dizmar Forest region, situated between the villages of Ozi and Pir Davood. Inhabitants in the northern Varzeqan area of East Azerbaijan Province reported hearing sounds emanating from the vicinity.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Fassihi, Farnaz (19 May 2024). "Helicopter Carrying Iran's President Has Crashed, State Media Reports". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  2. ^ Makoii, Akhtar; Abrahams, Jessica (19 May 2024). "Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi 'missing' after helicopter makes hard landing". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  3. ^ Moshtaghian, Artemis; Mando, Nechirvan; Rahimi, Rosa; Brennan, Eve (19 May 2024). "Helicopter carrying Iranian President Raisi crashes, local media reports". CNN. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Helicopter carrying Iran's president suffers a 'hard landing,' state TV says without further details". AP News. 19 May 2024. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Helicopter carrying Iran's president Raisi makes rough landing, says state TV". Reuters. 19 May 2024.
  6. ^ a b Raice, Shayndi; Eqbali, Aresu (19 May 2024). "Iran Says Helicopter Carrying Its President Is Missing After 'Difficult Landing'". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Qiz-Qalasi Dam symbol of cooperation between Tehran, Baku". Mehr News Agency. 19 May 2024.
  8. ^ "Who was on the missing helicopter?". Al Jazeera Media Network. 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  9. ^ Serdar, Resul (19 May 2024). "Helicopter went missing near Sungun copper mine in East Azerbaijan province". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2024_Varzaqan_helicopter_crash&oldid=1224641114"