66 feared dead after plane crashes in stormy Iran

renee.duff
Updated

All 66 passengers and crew members aboard an Iranian commercial plane are feared dead after the aircraft crashed into the Zagros Mountains on Sunday.

One child was on the plane at the time of the crash, according to the Associated Press.

The Aseman Airlines plane departed the country's capital of Tehran at 8:00 a.m., local time, and was en route to Yasuj when the plane disappeared from radar.

The plane crashed into Mount Dena, which is located in the Zagros Mountains about 14 miles (22 km) from Yasuj, BBC News reported via a local news channel.

A storm system that swept through Iraq on Saturday reached Iran at the end of the weekend with clouds, rain and gusty winds.

Emergency crews had to abandon efforts to reach the crash site by helicopter due to heavy fog, according to Reuters. Crews are now attempting to reach the crash site by land.

An initial statement released by Aseman Airlines stated that all aboard the plane had died. However, a later statement by the airline stated that they could not confirm the deaths of all the passengers given that the crash site had still not been reached, according to BBC News.