GUWAHATI: The Iranian government has confirmed the tragic death of President Ebrahim Raisi at the age of 63 in a helicopter crash.
State-affiliated media reported on Monday that the downed helicopter had been located near the village of Uzi in northwest Iran, with rescuers en route to the site.
The helicopter, with President Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and seven others aboard, crashed on Sunday afternoon while returning from the border with Azerbaijan, where Raisi had been inaugurating a dam with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
The loss of President Raisi in this helicopter crash marks another tragic chapter in the history of politicians who have perished in aviation accidents over the past decades.
In light of this recent tragedy, here are some similar incidents involving political figures from the Northeast who lost their lives in aviation accidents:
May, 2001: Minister in the Arunachal Pradesh government, Dera Natung, lost his life along with five others when an IAF’s Pawan Hans helicopter crashed in the state. Natung was on a tour to Tawang and East Kameng districts to survey sites for educational institutions when the MI-172 helicopter, en route from Itanagar to West Kameng, crashed due to rough weather conditions.
September 4, 2004: C. Sangma, Union Minister and Community Development Minister of Meghalaya, met his untimely demise in a helicopter crash while traveling from Guwahati to Shillong. The tragic incident underscored the risks associated with air travel, particularly in challenging terrains.
April 30, 2011: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu died in a tragic helicopter crash while flying from Tawang to Itanagar. The helicopter, carrying Khandu and four others, lost contact as it approached the treacherous Sela Pass, situated at an altitude of 13,000 feet. The challenging weather conditions in the area added to the complexity of navigation, leading to the unfortunate accident.
