Airliner Crashes in Tehran, Rouhani Orders Grounding of 140 Planes

Local Editor

An Iranian passenger plane crashed Sunday moments after takeoff from Tehran, killing 39 people on board and narrowly avoiding many more deaths when it plummeted near a busy market.

The plane was headed to the eastern city of Tabas, the IRNA and Fars news agencies said, when it crashed at 9:18 am, after leaving Mehrabad airport.

It triggered a fireball when it smashed into the capital's Azadi neighborhood, close to where hundreds of military families live, and only a few hundred meters from a row of shops.

Iran's deputy transport minister, Ahmad Majidi, said the Antonov An-140 turboprop plane had 40 passengers, including six children, and eight crew on board.
The accident killed 39 people and injured nine, according to the latest official toll. A fire official initially said all on board had been killed.

The aircraft was operated by Sepahan Airlines, and a tail section bearing the company's dolphin logo could be seen sticking out of the road as security forces cordoned off the crash site where firefighters had doused the flames.
Black smoke billowed from the mass of burnt out and twisted metal, with officials saying the plane hit a wall and trees.

"The scene was terrible, with the back of the plane in the middle of the street," one witness said," and added: "we were lucky because there was a market 500 meters away and a lot of people were there."
Another witness told state television: "I was on my motorbike and I heard something behind me. I turned round and it was a plane, so I got on to the ground because it was so close.

Alireza Jahangirian, the head of Iran's civil aviation authority, said: "The plane crashed in trees. There were no casualties on the ground."
An investigation is under way, he added.
The Ukrainian-designed An-140 is intended for regional use, has a range of around 2,400 kilometers and can carry up to 52 people. Iranian airlines are one of the plane's biggest users.

Later Sunday, President Hassan Rouhani ordered the grounding of all domestically produced An-140s.
"The president has asked for a complete report from the transport ministry, and in the meantime has ordered a halt to all flights by this type of aircraft," IRNA reported.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team