Search and rescue teams in central Iran were hampered by bad weather on Sunday (February 18) in their efforts to locate the site of a plane crash carrying 65 passengers and crew, all of whom were feared dead.
The Aseman-operated twin-engined turboprop ATR 72 crashed near the town of Semirom in Isfahan province after taking off from Tehran’s Mehrabad airport en route the southwestern city of Yasuj, an emergency services spokesman told ISNA news agency.
Over 100 emergency personnel were dispatched to the area but as of late afternoon Sunday local time they had not located the actual crash site because of the difficult mountain terrain and bad weather, state TV reported.
A local official from the central city of Isfahan said personnel from a variety of agencies had been dispatched to aid in the search efforts including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or Sepah, Iran’s Red Crescent Society and local teaching hospitals.
“What we do know right now is that the crash likely occurred between the two villages of Bideh and Kahangan in the district of Padena, which is in the elevations of Dena mountain and about 180 kilometres (112 miles) from the town of Semirom,” the official, Mehr Alizadeh, told state TV, adding that there were access roads to those communities but that the roads were mountainous and therefore difficult to traverse.
Local officials dispatched helicopters twice to locate the crash site but were turned back due to bad weather, Alizadeh said. He added that the helicopters were on standby in the region so they can attempt to fly out again when the weather improves but that forecasters did not expect better conditions until Monday morning.
State TV reported that Iranian officials have been in touch with France-based ATR to have a company representative come to Iran.
It added that some 70 local mountain climbers were being mobilized to help emergency crews navigate the mountainous terrain.
