179 Killed in Ukrainian Plane Crash
EghtesadOnline: All 179 passengers on board a Ukrainian airliner were killed after it crashed shortly after departure from Tehran's main international airport early Wednesday.
There were 170 passengers and nine crew members on flight PS-752 that burst into flames mid-sky and crashed into ground near Parand, a city southwest of Tehran, ISNA reported.
Among the victims were 147 Iranian nationals and 32 from other countries, including Ukraine, Sweden, Germany and Britain. Both black boxes were retrieved a few hours after the crash, but the content is yet to be disclosed to the public, according to Financial Tribune.
The Boeing 737 en route to the Ukrainian capital Kiev had undergone scheduled maintenance just two days earlier. It was the first fatal accident for the Kiev-based Ukraine International Airlines.
The crash happened within minutes after takeoff and the pilot had not declared an emergency. UIA executives said the three-year-old plane was operated by a highly trained crew.
Speaker for Iran's Civil Aviation Organization Reza Jafarzadeh said the bodies of foreign nationals will be delivered to their countries after conducting DNA tests to identify the victims.
Under international rules, Iran as the state of occurrence is responsible for carrying out investigations into the tragic incident and Ukraine has asked to participate in the process.
The United States will also be involved in the investigations as the manufacturer of the plane. Some aviation experts have suggested France will also take part as the producer of the plane's engine.
Ukrainian authorities have not specified the cause of the crash, but Iranian officials have cited technical problems.
The renowned Sharif University of Technology offered their condolences to the families of the victims, as 13 passengers were Sharif graduates heading for Canada to continue studies.
Ukraine International Airlines has suspended flights from Iran indefinitely.