IRCS Mobilizes Additional Teams for Search Operation After Presidential Helicopter Crash

Tehran, The Gulf Observer: The Iran Red Crescent Society (IRCS) has dispatched additional groups to aid in locating the site where the helicopter carrying President Ebrahim Raisi crash-landed in the northwestern province of East Azarbaijan, IRCS chief Pirhossein Koulivand confirmed today.

President Raisi was returning from a ceremony to inaugurate a dam on Iran’s border with Azerbaijan when his helicopter crashed upon landing in the Varzaqan region on Sunday.

Rapid response and rescue teams from neighboring provinces have been called to assist in the search and rescue operation, Koulivand stated a few hours after the incident. “A total of 40 teams are searching the area,” he said, noting that inclement weather conditions and the impassable terrain are hampering the operation.

Koulivand highlighted that the severe weather has made aerial searches impossible. However, drones have been deployed to the area to assist in locating the crash site. The IRCS chief expressed hope that these efforts will soon yield results despite the challenging conditions.