DUBAI, August 10 (RIA Novosti) – The plane crash near the Mehrabad international airport in Tehran claimed the lives of 39 people and left another 9 injured, Iran's deputy transport minister, Ahmad Majidi said on Sunday.
The aide of Iran’s transport minister told the Fars news agency earlier that several passengers survived the crash and were hospitalized with injuries and burns. He also stated that according to the preliminary data, the crash could have been caused by the engine shutdown.
The turboprop Iranian plane Iran-140, a modification of Russian An-140, owned by one of the local airlines, was en route from Tehran to the city of Tabas in eastern Iran with 40 passengers and eight crew members on board.
The plane crashed on early Sunday, almost immediately after the takeoff near the international airport in the western part of Iranian capital. According to the eye witnesses, the engine of the aircraft went on fire during takeoff. The plane changed its course and broke into pieces before reaching the ground.
