No “signs of life” were found at the crash site on Monday after the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdullahian and others made a “hard landing” on Sunday, state television reported.
State media said the crash site was across a steep valley and rescue teams had not yet arrived.
Pir Hossein Kolivand, chairman of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, told state media as the sun rose on Monday that rescuers spotted the helicopter from a distance of about 2.25 miles.
Officials said the helicopter had been missing for more than 12 hours when it was spotted.
Iranian president experiences ‘hard landing’ on helicopter: Iranian media
Iranian state media reported on Monday that there were “no signs of life” at the crash site of the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and other officials. (Ali Hamed Hagdast/IRNA, via AP)
Raisi and Amir Abdullahian were traveling in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province when the helicopter made what state television described as a “hard landing” near Jolfa, a city on the border with Azerbaijan, about 575 miles northwest of Tehran. State television later said it had crashed further east, near the village of Uzi, but details remained contradictory.
The governor of East Azerbaijan, other officials and bodyguards were also on board, state news agency IRNA said. One local government official described the incident as a “crash,” while others called it a “hard landing” or an “incident.”
Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said in comments aired on state television: “The esteemed president and his company were on their way home in several helicopters, but one of the helicopters crashed due to bad weather and fog. I was forced to land,” he said.
What happens if Raisi dies? Iranian experts express their opinion
Rescue teams are seen near the crash site of the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Varzagan, northwestern Iran. (Ajin Haghighi, Moj News Agency, via AP)
“Various rescue teams are heading to the area, but due to bad weather and fog, it may take some time for the helicopter to arrive,” the statement continued.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The incident comes as Iran, led by Raisi and Supreme Leader Khamenei, launched an unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel last month.
Iran is also facing years of mass protests against its Shiite theocracy in response to economic decline and attacks on women’s rights.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
