Rescue Chopper Crashes in Western Iran, Killing Two
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A rescue helicopter of the Iranian Red Crescent Society crashed on Friday evening during a mission in the mountainous Oshtorankuh region of the western province of Lorestan, killing at least two people, local officials confirmed.
The helicopter had been dispatched to an altitude of 4,000 meters in the Chalkabud area to search for a missing woman when it went down at around 2,800 meters, according to the provincial Red Crescent branch.
Initial reports indicated eight people were on board, including flight crew and rescue workers, but later updates confirmed nine occupants.
“One person died at the scene from severe injuries,” the head of Lorestan’s Crisis Management Department, Mahdi Pazouki, said, adding that the pilot also succumbed to his injuries, raising the death toll to two.
He noted that one rescuer remains in critical condition.
Provincial officials said six operational teams have been dispatched to the crash site to assist survivors and investigate the cause. According to early findings, the helicopter lost balance during landing and struck the mountainside.
Lorestan’s judiciary has issued a judicial order to pursue the investigation.
Local crisis management officials said initial treatment was administered to three severely injured victims and that their condition has since stabilized.
