Chopper crash that killed Raisi called accident

KABUL (Pajhwok): The helicopter crash that killed Iranian President Ebrahim Ibrahim Raisi and his foreign minister was an accident, say investigators.

The chopper had gone down in the Dizmar forest of Iran’s northwestern province of East Azarbaijan on May 19 this year.

The crash was an accident, Fars news agency quoted a source in Iranian special services as saying on Thursday.

He said security and intelligence services had wrapped up a thoroughgoing probe, which found the crash was an accident.

He revealed the helicopter, carrying two more people than safety protocols permitted, could not soar to the required altitude for lack of power.

The source disclosed in conditions of limited visibility due to thick fog in the region, the helicopter collided with a mountain and crashed.

In line with security requirements, GPS systems had not been installed on the helicopter, according to the source, who ruled out hacking of the aircraft’s electronics systems or attempts to tamper with them.

PAN Monitor/mud

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