Ukrainian aircraft crashes in Iran, all 176 on board killed
Tehran, January 8
A Ukrainian airliner crashed shortly after take-off from Tehran on Wednesday, killing all 176 people on board, mainly Iranians and Canadians.
I ask everyone to keep from speculating and putting forth unconfirmed theories about the crash. — Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine President
Search-and-rescue teams were combing through the smoking wreckage of the Boeing 737 flight from Tehran to Kiev but officials said there was no hope of finding anyone alive.
The vast majority of the passengers on the Ukraine International Airlines flight were non-Ukrainians, including 82 Iranians and 63 Canadians, officials said.
The crash occurred with tensions high in the Middle East and shortly after Tehran launched missiles at bases in Iraq housing US troops. But there was no immediate indication of foul play and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned against “speculating” on the cause of the disaster.
The US aviation authority said it had banned US-registered carriers from flying over Iraq, Iran and the Gulf, and airlines including Lufthansa and Air France suspended flights through Iraqi and Iranian airspace.
Footage released by Iranian state media showed a field on fire and the smouldering wreck of the plane. Rescue workers carried body bags and the passengers’ personal items — including luggage, clothes, a Santa Claus doll and a boxing glove — were scattered in the debris.
Iranian state media reported that the plane caught fire after crashing, but a video aired by the state broadcaster appeared to show the plane already on fire as it fell down. A statement posted on the Ukrainian embassy website in Iran saying the crash was caused by an engine malfunction and ruling out an act of terror was later redacted, saying all information would be provided by an official commission. — AFP
Iran says won’t give Americans crashed plane’s black box
Tehran: Iran’s aviation authority said it would not hand over to Americans the recovered black box of a Boeing 737. “We will not give the black box to the manufacturer (Boeing) and the Americans,” Iran Civil Aviation Organisation head Ali Abedzadeh said, quoted by Mehr news agency. “It’s not yet clear which country the black box will go to for the investigation,” he added. “This accident will be investigated by Iran’s aviation organisation but the Ukrainians can also be present during the incident’s investigation,” he added. AFP
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