Iran’s investigation into the May helicopter crash that killed former President Ebrahim Raisi has found it was caused by bad weather and overloading, Iranian media said on Wednesday, citing an official.
The helicopter carrying 63-year-old Raisi and his entourage came down on a fog-shrouded mountainside in northern Iran, killing the president and seven others, and triggering snap elections.
Fars news agency, quoting an informed security source with knowledge of the probe conclusions, said Iranian security forces had “absolute certainty that what happened was an accident.”
In May, Iran’s army similarly said it had found no evidence of criminal activity in the crash that also killed Raisi’s foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
“The case of Ayatollah Raisi’s helicopter crash has been fully completed by the regulatory and security institutions,” Fars reported.
“The security and intelligence agencies have completed their detailed investigations and there is absolute certainty that what happened was an accident,” it added, quoting the source.
Fars attributed the May 19 crash to bad weather conditions and the helicopter’s inability to ascend with extra passengers beyond security protocols.
The chopper was carrying two passengers beyond the recommended capacity when it crashed, the probe found.
It ruled out the possibility of “jamming and hacking of electronic systems,” Fars said, also noting that “no signs of chemical agents and harmful substances were found.”
With AFP
