All nine people on board of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter which crashed in the country’s North-West have died, the media reported.
CNN confirmed his death, citing reports by Iranian news outlets.
According to the report, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was also among those killed, along with seven others
On Monday morning, local media published images taken by a drone showing debris from what appears to be a completely destroyed aircraft on a steep slope in the middle of the forest.
Raisi and Amirabdollahian were travelling back from a meeting with the president of neighbouring Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, when their aircraft disappeared from radar on Sunday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the Iranian cabinet has convened a second emergency meeting in less than 24 hours following the confirmation of the death of Raisi.
Local media reported on Monday that the Iranian Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber had already chaired a meeting on Sunday evening after the helicopter went missing with nine people on board over Iran’s north-west.
According to protocol, with Raisi’s death, Mokhber should assume power, pending approval from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
New elections will then have to hold within 50 days. (dpa/NAN)
