Iranians urged to pray for president after helicopter accident – ​​The Irish Times

One of the helicopters in a convoy carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi had a “hard landing,” the country’s Interior Minister Ahmed Vahidi confirmed to state television on Sunday, adding that rescue teams were being hampered by difficult weather conditions. It was not stated whether Raisi was on board the affected aircraft.

The Iranian news agency FARS called on Iranians to pray for the president following the reports. The convoy, which consisted of three helicopters, also included the country’s foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, the governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province and other officials, state news agency IRNA reported. A local government official used the word “crash” to describe the incident, the Associated Press reports, but admitted to an Iranian newspaper that he had not yet reached the site himself.

Neither IRNA nor state television provided any information about Raisi’s condition. Rescuers tried to reach the site, state television said, but were prevented from doing so by poor weather conditions. Heavy rain and fog with some wind were reported. IRNA called the area a “forest.” – Reuters and associates

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