A flight recorder has been found at the crash site of a Boeing-727
belonging to IranAir on Monday, France Press cites a spokesman of the
Iranian Ministry of Transport.
The plane carrying 105 people crashed in north-western Iran in the
Urmia District of West Azerbaijan Province, 700 km from Tehran.
Press TV reports that the Transport Minister, Hamid Behbahani, did not
clarify the cause of the crash. He said that they need to decode the
flight recorder and question the survivors, RIA Novosti reports.
According to Press TV, the plane took off in Tehran with an hour's
delay. The crew decided not to land at the first approach in Urmia,
due to bad weather conditions. The plane then disappeared from the
radar.
The International Red Cross Organization said that at least 70 people
died and approximately 32 were injured in the crash. The organization
believes that there may be more deaths because many are gravely
injured. The Fars news agency reports about 72 dead and 33 injured.
A 70cm layer of snow is complicating the rescue operation.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has expressed his condolences to
the relatives of the victims.
