Tehran – A Ukrainian airplane Boeing 737 with at least 170 passengers crashed due to technical problems no sooner it took off from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini airport on Wednesday, Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported.
Rescue operations are underway near the airport where the international airplane crashed, Reza Jafarzadeh, a spokesman for Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization informed the state television.
#Breaking First footage of the Ukrainian airplane while on fire falling near #Tehran pic.twitter.com/kGxnBb7f1q
— Ali Hashem علي هاشم (@alihashem_tv) January 8, 2020
“The plane is on fire but we have sent crews … and we may be able to save some passengers.” Pirhossein Koulivand, head of Iran’s emergency services, told the television.
IRNA said according to preliminary information “the plane was bound for Kiev … and had 180 passengers and crew”. However, Jaferzadeh told the number of passengers to be 170.
More details are awaited while investigations are being carried out.
