The pilot and the co-pilot of an army helicopter were among four people killed after the helicopter crashed into a fruit market in the central Isfahan province, the Iranian state media has reported.
The two other slain persons were fruit vendors, whose shops were hit by the helicopter as it crashed. The incident was reported in Dorcheh city of Isfahan, where the crash caused a fire. "The fire has been put out by the emergency services," the state media reported.
The Army Aviation Training Centre issued a statement soon after the crash took place and identified the deceased soldiers as Colonel Hamed Sarvazad, the pilot, and his co-pilot, Major Mojtaba Kiani.
The army statement said that the cause of the crash was under investigation. Meanwhile, the local judiciary chief, Asadollah Jafri, has said that he has also opened a case and dispatched investigators.
The state media, soon after the incident, broadcasted footage from the site where emergency responders could be seen putting out the fire.
Only a week ago, an Iranian Air Force fighter jet, reportedly an old United States-built F-4 model, crashed in Hamdan province late at night. One of the pilots was killed, while the co-pilot had ejected safely, the state media had said.
An investigation is going on in that crash as well. Iran, the experts say, has a poor air safety record with repeated reported crashes, many involving aircraft bought before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The crash comes amid the rising tensions between Iran and the United States. Escalation between Tehran and Washington looks imminent with every passing day. The two countries will be going to talks in Geneva on February 26. Trump has been talking in terms of military action. He has given Iran 10 to 15 days to agree to a nuclear deal, or the consequences will be “unfortunate” for the country.
Iran is, on the other hand, not taking the aggression lightly. Tehran has retorted and said any strikes by the US, including limited strikes, will be considered as an “act of aggression”.
On Monday, the ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baqaei said that any state would react to an act of aggression as part of its inherent right to self-defence ferociously. “So that's what we would do,” he said at a briefing in Tehran, AFP reported.
Also Read: US-Iran Tensions: General Daniel Caine Opposing Potential War? Trump Clarifies
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
