World
18:45, 19-Feb-2018
Wreckage of Iranian plane found in mountains: report
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The wreckage of the Iranian plane that crashed on Sunday with 65 people on board has been found in central Iran, ISNA News Agency reported citing a local official.
The deputy governor of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province said the wreckage was located near Dengezlu City, Semirom County, in Isfahan Province.
However, Iran's Civil Aviation Organization said it could not confirm the report, according to Reuters.
"We are facing a total enigma. We do not know anything about the crash," Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abba Akhoundi was quoted as saying by Tasnim News Agency.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday urged Abba Akhoundi to investigate the cause of the crash.
Search hampered by bad weather
Relatives of a passenger believed to have been killed in a plane crash react near the town of Semirom, Iran, February 18, 2017. / VCG Photo
Relatives of a passenger believed to have been killed in a plane crash react near the town of Semirom, Iran, February 18, 2017. / VCG Photo
ISNA News Agency said search and rescue efforts are still ongoing to locate the exact site of the accident and a team of crash investigators from the French air safety agency was set to assist Iran on Monday.
But bad weather continues to hamper the search.
According to Mehr News Agency, a number of the 26 rescue teams along with 106 climbers are still searching for the debris of the plane in the mountainous region.
World condolences pour in
Following the crash, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have expressed sympathy for all involved.
Condolences also poured into Tehran from world figures including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.