Sixty-six people have been killed in a passenger plane crash in Iran, airline company officials say.
The Aseman Airlines plane, en route from Tehran to the south-western city of Yasuj, came down in the Zagros mountains of central Iran.
The Red Crescent has deployed a search and rescue team to the site near the city of Semirom in Isfahan province.
The plane left Tehran at 05:00 local time (01:30 GMT) and disappeared from radar later.
A local official said bad weather had hampered a helicopter search.
“All emergency forces are on alert,” a spokesman said.
The plane is believed to be a 20-year-old ATR 72-500.
Reports say those on board were 60 passengers, two security guards, two flight attendants and the pilot and co-pilot.
Recent air accidents
2018
11 February: Russian Antonov An-148 crashes minutes after leaving Moscow’s Domodedovo airport with 71 people on board. The plane was en route to the city of Orsk in the Ural mountains when it crashed near the village of Argunovo, about 80km (50 miles) south-east of Moscow.
2017
No passenger jet crashes – safest year on record for commercial airlines
2016
25 December: Russian military Tu-154 jet airliner crashes in the Black Sea, with the loss of all 92 passengers and crew.
Source: BBC
