Turkish drone identifies heat source suspected to be crash site of Raisi’s helicopter

20 May 2024 • 9:28 AM MYT
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ISTANBUL – A Turkish Akinci unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) reportedly identified a source of heat early today, suspected to be the wreckage of a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and shared its coordinates with Iranian authorities, Anadolu Agency reported. 

After the helicopter carrying Raisi crashed, the Turkish Defence Ministry assigned the UAV and a Cougar-type helicopter with night vision capabilities to participate in search activities.

President Raisi had attended the inauguration ceremony for a dam on the Iran-Azerbaijan border yesterday by helicopter.

Iranian state television reported that the accident occurred when Raisi's helicopter made a hard landing while returning from the region.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian; Malik Rahmeti, the governor of East Azerbaijan Province; and Imam Ayatollah Ali Hashim of Tabriz province were also on board the helicopter.

Search-and-rescue teams are reporting that work continues with difficulty due to adverse weather conditions. – May 20, 2024