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Many killed in Tehran plane crash
An Iranian military plane with 94 people on board has crashed into a building in a heavily built-up suburb of the capital Tehran. There was a huge explosion and fire in the 10-storey block. Police said everyone had died on the plane and many deaths were feared on the ground. | I guess I feel sorry for the innocent people killed on the ground |
State television said the C-130 plane encountered a technical problem shortly after take-off from Mehrabad airport. All of Tehran's hospitals have been put on alert to receive casualties. The semi-official Fars news agency said so far at least 40 bodies had been recovered. Tehran state radio said at least 25 people had been killed in the building and 15 were injured.
BBC Tehran correspondent Frances Harrison says the city is currently covered in a blanket of smog because air pollution is especially high, but it is not known if this played a role in the crash. | Bush should have signed on to Kyoto.. |
One local shopkeeper described how he noticed something appeared to be wrong with the plane before it crashed. "We are used to aeroplanes but I thought: 'Oh my God, this one is going to crash'. Then it struck the building with a big bang and smoke came pouring out." Emergency services rushed to the scene in the Yaftabad district and the area was sealed off.
BBCPersian.com reader Amir, who reached the scene shortly after the crash, said the building was engulfed in smoke and dust and a huge fire swept through the block before the fire brigade arrived. "The scene of crash was very bad. Very soon we saw bodies carried away," he said. The plane was due to fly from Tehran to Bandar Abbas in the south-west of Iran. Passengers are said to have included a group of journalists sent to cover military exercises there. | Like I said, innocents on the ground |
The Iranian air force is believed to have about 15 ageing US-made C-130s in operation, dating back to before the 1979 Islamic revolution and the US boycott of Iran. The country has a poor record of civil and military aircraft safety. In 2003, an Iranian Ilyushin-76 troop carrier crashed in south-east Iran killing all 276 Revolutionary Guard soldiers and crew aboard. Officials blame the high frequency of crashes on a lack of aviation spare parts due to American sanctions. | Just like we thought. Now excuse me, I really need to go get this meter fixed. |
Posted by: Steve 2005-12-06 |
