Helicopter carrying Iranian President Raisi crashes, state media says

Tehran: A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi crashed  in a northern region of the country Sunday, according to state news agency IRNA. After hours of searching, officials say they have still not reached the crash site, despite dettermining its exact location thanks to signals from the aircraft.

Rescuers are contending with dense for and extreme cold in the remote, mountainous East Azerbaijan Province. It is now early morning local time.

The country’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was among a number of officials also abord the helicopter,   IRNA reports.

Nine people were on the helicopter that crashed in northwest Iran on Sunday, including three officials, an imam and flight and security team members, Iran’s Tasnim news reported.

The IRGC-run media outlet, Sepah, reported the nine included: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian; Governor of Eastern Azerbaijan province Malek Rahmati, Tabriz’s Friday prayer Imam Mohammad Ali Alehashem as well as a pilot, copilot, crew chief, head of security and another bodyguard.