The President travelled to East Azerbaijan province yesterday to inaugurate two construction projects, and on his return from the inauguration ceremony of the Qiz Qalasi Dam, his helicopter crashed in the Varzeghan region of East Azerbaijan province. The accident occurred on the night of Imam Reza's (PBUH) birthday, bestowing upon him the honour of martyrdom.
Among those martyred in the crash were Mr Hossein Amirabdollahian, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Ayatollah Ale-Hashem, Friday Imam of Tabriz; Malek Rahmati, Governor General of East Azerbaijan; the Head of the President's Security Team; and the helicopter's pilots and flight crew.