President Ebrahim Raisi killed in copter crash, confirms Iran’s national media

TEHRAN: Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi (63) has been killed in the helicopter crash. The confirmation that all of them died came after the wreckage of the helicopter carrying nine people, including Raisi, was found. Iran's national media IRNA confirmed the news of death after a fourteen-hour search. All the bodies have been burnt. Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian was also in the helicopter with Raisi.

Raisi was returning after inaugurating a jointly constructed dam in the Khoda Afrin area on the Iran-Azerbaijan border. His copter crashed after he was returning. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev also attended the event.

Nine people including three officials, an imam, flight attendants and the president's security personnel were traveling in the helicopter in which the president was traveling. None of them escaped.

Prayers started all over Iran after hearing the news of Raisi's accident. Iranian television stopped all other programs and aired footage of the prayer. Heavy rain, wind and fog hampered the rescue operations. Russia and Turkey also came to help Iran. A Turkish drone was the first to provide footage of the burning scene at the crash site. There was also a strong smell of oil from the accident site. The accident site is 600 km away from the capital Tehran.

Iran's Interior Minister Ahmed Vahidi told national television that the other two helicopters in the group had landed safely this time. Iran's copters and military aircraft are mostly antiquated. Their spare parts are no longer available before the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Modernization is also dragging because of the Western ban. The President's copter is also reportedly outdated.