TEHRAN, Feb 12: An Iranian airliner carrying 117 people crashed into a mountain while trying to land in western Iran on Tuesday, killing all on board.
The Russian-built Tupolev-154, belonging to Iran Air Tours, an affiliate of the state carrier Iran Air, was flying from Tehran to Khorramabad when it disappeared off radar screens southwest of the city.
Low clouds and heavily overcast skies may have hampered landing, residents said.
The official said those killed — 105 passengers and the rest crew — included four government officials and at least two foreigners.
“All 117 are dead,” the official added.
Khorramabad lies to the east of the Zagros mountain range running along the border with Iraq. State radio said villagers in the area were startled by an explosion early in the morning.
“There is a mountain close to the airport and the plane crashed into it as it was landing,” said a local resident who visited the crash site.
“The plane was totally destroyed and scattered in small pieces across the mountain,” the resident said.
A Transport Ministry spokesman said four Italians were among the passengers, but a diplomat at the Italian embassy in Tehran said he could not confirm his countrymen were among those missing and said four names he had been given appeared to be Hispanic.
“Unfortunately all the 117 passengers and crew members were killed in the accident,” Iran’s civil aviation body said in a statement.
It added that the mountain in a range along the border with Iraq was covered in snow and fog, which could have contributed to the crash and was hindering the search for bodies.
“Our rescue teams some 100 strong are at the scene, but given that the mountain is covered in snow it will be very difficult to reach the aircraft quickly,” the civil aviation authorities said.
Earlier a local official at Cheghini, 35 kms from Khorramabad, said, “We will need mountaineers to bring down the bodies.” The official said the plane had come down near Sarab-Doreh, southwest of Khorramabad.—Agencies
