Devastating plane crash in Iran; all 66 passengers presumed dead

Dreadful news from Iran. The plane which left at 04:30 GMT crashed an hour later in the southern province of Isfahan, near the city of Semirom. 66 passengers, including one child, have been said to have died in the crash. The plane crashed into mountain Dena, 500 kilometers from the destination.

The foggy, mountainous area of the crash is hindering any rescue attempts. Initially, the airline reported that everyone on board has died but later corrected their message, saying that they cannot yet confirm all deaths given the issue to reach the crash site.

Issues with the machine

The model of the plane, ATR-72, a twin-engine turboprop aircraft, used mainly for short-distance travels, has been reported by the Iranian state-media to have been causing problems in the past. 23 days ago a plane of the same type had to turn around and return due to technical difficulties which forced the pilot to make the decision.

This might be connected to the devastating crash from today as it is very unusual for planes to show technical difficulties like that. Yet, the authorities have not reported any issues of this sort as of yet. The cause of the crash, as of now, is the weather circumstances of the mountainous region of Isfahan.

Reactions on social media

The accident has caused many to share their love and prayers on social media. Twitter is booming with messages offering condolences and prayers to the families of the victims.

Although, there are many that seem to draw a Conspiracy Theory of the crash and point to the surprising number of plane accidents that happened in the recent times.

Acknowledgement from the world leaders

Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanjahu, offered condolences to the people touched by the devastating accident. He also added: "We have no quarrel with the people of Iran, only with the regime that torments them", commenting on the chequered past the two countries have shared.

A Pakistani politician, Shehbaz Sharif, shared his condolences on Twitter: "Saddened by the news of an Iranian Plane crash and loss of precious lives in it.

I extend my sympathies and condolences to the leadership and brotherly people of Iran". Germany has also been reported to have sent their deepest condolences. Surprising silence from the President of the United States. Donald Trump has yet to address the plane crash which causes many on social media to wonder about Trump's priorities.