Poor weather conditions add to difficulty in rescue

TEHERAN — On Monday, Iranian media outlets declared Ebrahim Raisi dead after his helicopter crashed.

This followed a report on Sunday from Iranian state television saying that a helicopter carrying Raisi had been in an accident in the East Azerbaijan Province amid poor weather conditions.

Early on Monday, Iran's Red Crescent chief Pirhossein Koolivand said rescue teams had located the helicopter and were heading toward the site.

Rescue teams fought rain, blizzards and difficult terrain through the night to reach the wreckage in the early hours of Monday.

Red Crescent rescue teams were seen on state TV on a steep slope as they attempted to approach the helicopter's location amid thick fog.

With the discovery of the crash site, no signs of life have been detected among the helicopter's passengers, Koolivand told state TV.

Earlier, the national broadcaster had stopped all regular programming to show prayers being held for Raisi across the country.

Video showed a rescue team, wearing bright jackets and head torches, huddled around a GPS device as they searched a pitch-black mountainside on foot.

Iran's Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi described the accident as a "hard landing due to the weather conditions".

Raisi's convoy comprised three helicopters, including two that landed safely in Tabriz.

Several dozens of rescue teams were involved in the search, according to the Red Crescent, with IRNA saying search dogs and drones were also being used.

Military personnel along with the Revolutionary Guards and the police had also been sent to the area.

Agencies Via Xinhua