A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi experienced a “hard landing” while he was visiting East Azerbaijan, as reported by the Tasnim news agency on Sunday.
The incident occurred under foggy conditions, which have so far prevented emergency crews from reaching the aircraft.
“The esteemed president and company were on their way back aboard some helicopters, and one of the helicopters was forced to make a hard landing due to the bad weather and fog,” Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said in comments aired on state TV.
“Various rescue teams are on their way to the region, but because of the poor weather and fog, it might take time for them to reach the helicopter.”
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He added, “The region is a bit (rugged) and it’s difficult to make contact. We are waiting for rescue teams to reach the landing site and give us more information.”
The passengers on the helicopter included President Raisi, Ayatollah Al Hashem Imam of Tabriz, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, East Azerbaijan Governor Malik Rahmati, and several other officials.
Following the report of the incident, Red Crescent Relief Forces, along with auxiliary military and law enforcement units, launched a comprehensive search effort to locate the helicopter.
According to Tasnim, some of the president’s companions on the helicopter managed to communicate with Central Headquarters, suggesting the possibility of no casualties.
The helicopter was part of a convoy of three helicopters, with the other two helicopters, carrying ministers and officials having safely reached their destination.
The exact status of Raisi’s helicopter remains unclear.
Earlier on Sunday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was in Azerbaijan to inaugurate a dam with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
The dam is the third collaborative project between Iran and Azerbaijan built on the Aras River.
