The Boeing 737 belonging to Ukraine International Airlines crashed near the airport and burst into flames. Iranian TV said the crash was due to technical problems but did not elaborate.
Ukraine’s embassy in Iran said the plane had suffered engine failure and the crash was not caused by “terrorism”.Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said there were no survivors.
“My sincere condolences to the relatives and friends of all passengers and crew,” Zelenskiy said in a statement, adding that Ukraine was seeking to establish the circumstances of the crash and the death toll.
Iranian state TV and Ukraine’s prime minister said 167 passengers and nine crew were on board. Iranian TV said 32 of those on board were foreigners.
Iranian media quoted an Iranian aviation official as saying the pilot of the airliner did not declare an emergency.
There was no official word from Ukraine International Airlines. It was the first fatal crash for Kiev-based UIA.
“The fire is so heavy that we cannot (do) any rescue… we have 22 ambulances, four bus ambulances and a helicopter at the site,” Pirhossein Koulivand, head of Iran’s emergency services, told Iranian state television.
