Iran’s President Raisi and his entourage involved in a helicopter accident

May 19 (THEWILL) – Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi was involved in a helicopter accident on Sunday while traveling to East Azerbaijan province.

State media, including IRNA, said Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, East Azberbaijan Governor Malik Rahmati and Mohammed Ali Ale-Hashem, the Imam of Tabriz, were on board the helicopter, which suffered a “hard landing.”

The accident was reported near the town of Jolfa, on the country’s border with Azerbaijan.

Two other helicopters in the convoy landed safely, city official Ali Zakari told the media.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Interior Ministry confirmed that the helicopter had suffered a “hard landing” and said it was awaiting further details.

Drones and rescue teams were sent to the site, said the head of the Iranian Red Crescent. Heavy fog and difficult weather conditions are complicating rescue operations in the region, which will take “some time”, state media added.

The 63-year-old Raisi was in Azerbaijan early Sunday to inaugurate a dam together with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.