Turkish private jet crashes in Iran, 11 dead

Published on 11/03/2018 - 19:03

A private plane flying from the UAE to Turkey has crashed in Iran, according to Iranian media.

As many as 11 people died when a Turkish private plane crashed in western Iran on Sunday. The plane was carrying a group of women from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Istanbul, said authorities.

We can confirm that a Turkish private jet while passing through our airspace disappeared from the radar and crashed near Shahr-e Kord," a spokesperson for Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation told the country's state television.

Shahr-e Kord is a mountainous region 370 kilometres south of Tehran.

The crash occurred around 6.40 pm local time and emergency services reached the site at about 9.30 pm, Turkey's Hurriyet newspaper said.

According to Turkey's Dogan News Agency, the plane was a Bombardier CL604.

Mojtaba Khaledi, the spokesman of the country's emergency management agency told the Young Journalists' Club website that local villagers had found 11 badly burned bodies and added that DNA tests would be required to identify the crash victims.

UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA UAE) said the plane took off from Sharjah International Airport — Sharjah is an emirate next-door to Dubai.

GCAA UAE tweeted they would provide support to the Iranian authorities who would investigate the crash.

Eight passengers were in the Başaran Holding plane, the head of the Turkish Red Crescent, Dr Kerem Kınık, said on Twitter.

He also shared a photograph that he said came from Iranian journalists of what appeared to be the crash.

Two female pilots and an air stewardess were also said to be on board, according to local media.

Turkish news outlets also reported the daughter of Hüseyin Başaran — the businessman who owns Başaran Holding — and seven friends were on the plane.

Mina Başaran, 28, and seven of her friends were said to be returning to Istanbul from her hen party in Dubai.

A picture of the plane was posted on Başaran's Instagram was posted three days ago. Pictures of Başaran's hen's party in Dubai were also posted to her account.