Search operations ongoing for Raisi's helicopter
4 Min Read
Search operations are still ongoing for the helicopter that was carrying Iranian President Ebrhaim Raisi and his companions after it made a hard landing in northwest Iran.
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Rescue vehicles are seen following a crash of a helicopter carrying Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, in Varzaqan , northwestern Iran on May 19 2024. (AFP)
UPDATE: 6:00 (local time): Iranian state TV confirmed there is "no signs of life" in President Raisi's helicopter wreck.
UPDATE: 5:25 (local time): Head of the Iranian Red Crescent Organization stated,"We have now located the wreckage of the helicopter and are moving towards the site," adding that It's difficult to assess the situation before arriving at the site, but described the conditions as "generally not favorable".
UPDATE: 4:40 (local time): The Iranian Fars Agency reported that the search teams, directed by the Turkish coordinates, have not yet located any evidence of the president's helicopter at the specified location.
UPDATE: 4:30 (local time): The Iranian Red Crescent reported that there are 73 rescue teams currently deployed, with 23 teams dispatched from Tehran and neighboring provinces.
UPDATE: 3:55 (local time): The IRGC Commander in the East Azerbaijan province reported that thermal imaging has identified the suspected site of the Iranian president's helicopter. The commander added that "our forces are en route to the site for further assessment, with rescue teams anticipated to arrive within half an hour".
UPDATE 2:34 (local time) : Head of the Iranian Red Crescent Organization: Our team members are en route to a location where rescue teams recently detected the smell of fuel, which corresponds to the area where the president's helicopter landed.
Rescue operations are still ongoing in search of the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and their companions after making a hard landing.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Iran said that the location of the Iranian president's helicopter has been identified near the village of Uzi in the Arasbaran forests, pointing out that the weather conditions and the geographical nature of the location are hindering access to the site of the incident.
Iranian Red Crescent President Pir Hossein Kolivand told Iranian television that 40 teams are participating in the search operations for the Iranian president's helicopter, but due to bad weather conditions, aerial search operations cannot further proceed.
Kolivand added that one of the rescue teams reached an area near the possible location of the incident of the presidential helicopter.
#WATCH | Live footage from East Azerbaijan Province where rescue teams continue to search for the Iranian president's helicopter.#Iran https://t.co/C2WyQ4LQ58
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 19, 2024
Later, state media reported that the dispatched rescue teams would reach the probable coordinates of President Raisi's helicopter within half an hour, while Al Mayadeen's correspondent revealed that four rescue teams approached the landing site of the helicopter carrying Iranian President Raisi, with a total of 46 teams deployed.
However, shortly after, citing an Iranian Red Crescent source, Al Mayadeen's correspondent said that the roads leading to the location of the helicopter were no longer passable due to heavy rain, adding that rescue teams were now advancing on foot due to the difficult road conditions.
On his part, the spokesperson for the Iranian government confirmed that a cabinet meeting will be held today to discuss the latest developments.
Meanwhile, the Iranian government's Crisis Management Committee held an emergency session to follow up on the search operations, our correspondent said.
According to Al Mayadeen's correspondent, Iranian Vice President Mohammad Mokhber has headed to Tabriz to oversee the search operations.
Publicly, Iranian media published footage of Iranians praying and hoping for the safety of Raisi and his accompanying delegation at the Imam Reza shrine in the city of Mashhad.
Here are some of the reactions from foreign governments and officials to the news of the incident affecting the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim #Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and others as it flew over mountainous terrain in heavy fog on Sunday.… pic.twitter.com/xuB3ijf3dy
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 19, 2024
Moreover, the incident garnered international attention and the world has rushed to support Iran. International and regional partners have offered their help to assist in the search and rescue operation.
That said, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said it was following the developments on Sunday's Iran helicopter accident with sadness and hoping for the President's well-being, adding that action had been taken to provide all kinds of support to search and rescue activities.
Turkey answered Iran's call for the deployment of night vision-capable drones to assist search and rescue efforts. The Turkish emergency committee sent six vehicles and 32 experts to assist Iranian search and rescue efforts in the mountainous Province of East Azerbaijan.
