Struggle against extreme cold and darkness in the search

Ebrahim Raisi

Iran's president in helicopter crash: "Life in danger"

Emil Forsberg,

Lina Dawood

Updated 22.59 | Published 14.54

Iran's president is missing after a helicopter crash.

The helicopter was found using an intercepted mobile phone signal from a crewman, according to Tasnim.

- The president's life is in danger, a spokesperson told Reuters.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is involved in a helicopter crash in the Iranian province of East Azerbaijan, according to Iranian media.

According to state-controlled Tasnim, the helicopter was forced to make a hard emergency landing due to dense fog.

A major rescue effort has been launched to find the helicopter, but due to rough terrain and falling darkness, the effort has been hampered.

In the coming hours, it is also expected to be extremely cold in the area, according to Iranian media.

An Iranian spokesperson describes the situation as "alarming".

- The president's life is in danger, the spokesperson told Reuters.

Iranian state media stated at 8 p.m. that the helicopter had been found, something that was shortly afterwards denied by the Red Crescent.

At 10 p.m., Tasnim stated that they had managed to identify the helicopter's exact position with the help of a mobile signal from a member of the crew.

- The military is on its way to the site now and hopes to bring good news, says the local commander of the Revolutionary Guard.

 

 

Rescue team at the area where the helicopter reportedly crashed.

Here, the president took off in a helicopter at the Iranian border on Sunday.

1 / 2Photo: Azin Haghighi / AP

The helicopter was traveling in a convoy with two other helicopters carrying Iranian ministers.

According to the Shargh news agency, the Iranian government has appointed a crisis staff.

Images from state media show how people in the holy city of Mashhad gathered to pray for Raisi.

63-year-old Raisi is a conservative politician who led the country's judiciary, and who was predicted as a possible successor to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei (85), according to AP.

Later on Sunday evening, Khamenei spoke about the accident.

- Do not worry. There will be no interruption in the country's work. We hope god will come back with the president and his companions. Everyone should pray for their health.

 

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi.
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev earlier today.
1 / 2Photo: AP