Turkish private plane with at least 11 people on board crashes

Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization spokesman said it crashed near Shahr-e Kord
State-run news agency, quoting Red Crescent, said at least 11 people on board
Fars news agency said that the plane was flying from the UAE to Istanbul, Turkey

By Iain Burns For Mailonline

Published: 16:08 GMT, 11 March 2018 | Updated: 16:27 GMT, 11 March 2018

A private Turkish plane has crashed in Iran during a flight from the UAE to Istanbul, according to reports in the country.

The country’s Civil Aviation Organization spokesman, Reza Jafarizadeh, said the private jet crashed near Shahr-e Kord city, some 230 miles south of the capital Tehran.

Iran’s state-run news agency, quoting Red Crescent, said at least 11 people were on board the small plane.

The country’s Civil Aviation Organization spokesman, Reza Jafarizadeh, said the private jet crashed near Shahr-e Kord city, some 230 miles south of the capital Tehran. Pictured: A photograph reportedly taken just after the crash and now circulating on Iranian media

There is no word yet of injuries.

The semi-official Fars news agency reported that the plane took off from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates and was heading to Turkey’s Istanbul.

The reports did not elaborate.

Villagers near the crash say they saw flames coming from the plane’s engine before the crash, according to a report by Iran’s state-run judiciary news agency Mizan.

Earlier in February, an Iranian ATR-72, a twin-engine turboprop used for short-distance regional flying, crashed in southern Iran, killing all 65 people on board.

The plane was travelling from Tehran to the southern city of Yasuj in Isfahan province when it came down in the Zagros mountains.

It is said to have collided with Mount Dena, which is 14,435 feet tall.

More to follow…