…….All 9 victims identified
The Iranian government has said that the Imam on the same flight with the President reported the helicopter crash to the office before he succumbed to death one hour later due to his injuries.
The President office however confirmed that all the nine people killed in Sunday’s helicopter crash have now been identified.
A high-ranking government representative told the Iranian news agency Tasnim, that in spite of the severe burns, the identities of all occupants in the helicopter were established on Monday .
Their bodies have since been transferred to Tabriz, the capital of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province.
State media had previously confirmed the deaths of all nine occupants of the helicopter, including president Ebrahim Raisi and foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.
The chopper crashed while they were travelling back from a meeting with the president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.
A senior imam from Tabriz who led the Friday prayers in the city was on the aircraft.
Tasnim reported that the imam was alive for about an hour after the crash and was able to contact the presidential office before succumbing to his injuries.
