TEHRAN, July 15 (Xinhua) -- An Iranian passenger
plane crashed near the country's northwestern city of Gazvin and all 168 people
on board were killed, Iran's state TV IRIB website reported Wednesday.
Emergency workers shift through the
wreckage of a Tupolev Tu-154 passenger plane which crashed near the city
of Qazvin, about 150 km (93 miles) north of Tehran, July 15, 2009.
(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
The crash took place eleven minutes after take-off
from Tehran's international Imam Khomeini airport and 70 miles (112.7 km) from
Tehran.
IRIB quoted an official from the health ministry,
Mohammad Reza Montazer Khorasan, as saying that all the people on board were
killed.
This is screenshot from Iran State
TV programme. An Iranian passenger plane crashed near the country's
northwestern city of Gazvin and all 168 people on board were killed,
according to report on Iran's state TV IRIB website.(Xinhua/AFP
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
Among the passengers are Iran's national adolescent
Judo team members along with their coach, the report said.
The exact location of the air
crash was near Farsian village, six km to the south of Gazvin city, according to
IRIB.
This is screenshot from Iran State
TV programme. An Iranian passenger plane crashed near the country's
northwestern city of Gazvin and all 168 people on board were killed,
according to report on Iran's state TV IRIB website. (Xinhua/AFP
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
The Russia-made Tupolev passenger plane had been
traveling from Tehran to the Armenian capital of Yerevan, Press TV said, adding
that the plane was completely destroyed and its wreckage in flames.
The cause of the air disaster is not immediately
clear.
Experts believe that the U.S.
imposed sanctions against Iran, as to prevent its allies from selling aircraft
or aircraft parts to the country, "have undermined safety standards within
Iran's civil and military aviation fleet and is increasing the likelihood of
more major air disasters."
