Ukrainian Boeing 737 crashes in Iran, killing all 176 passengers on aboard
- Pilot error not the likely reason for the accident, says vice-president of Ukraine International Airlines
- The crash comes after Iranian missile strikes on two Iraqi bases that house US troops
A Ukrainian airliner carrying 176 people from seven countries crashed shortly after takeoff from Tehran on Wednesday, killing all on board.
Most of the passengers on the Boeing 737 flight from Tehran to Kiev were non-Ukrainians, including 82 Iranians and 63 Canadians, officials said.
The crash occurred with tensions high in the Middle East and shortly after Tehran launched missiles at bases in Iraq housing United States troops.
But there was no immediate indication of foul play and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned against “speculating” on the cause of the disaster.
The US aviation authority said it had banned US-registered carriers from flying over Iraq, Iran and the Gulf, and airlines including Lufthansa and Air France said they were suspending flights through Iraqi and Iranian airspace.
Footage released by Iranian state media showed a field on fire and the smoking wreckage of the crash. Rescue workers carried body bags and the passengers’ personal items – including cases, clothes, a Santa Claus doll and a boxing glove – were lying amidst the debris.