The helicopter carrying Iran’s late President Ebrahim Raisi caught fire soon after it crashed into a mountain, with no signs of an attack, state media reported, citing military investigators.
The crash, which occurred on Sunday, claimed the lives of Raisi, the country’s foreign minister, and six others. The general staff of the armed forces, leading the investigation, shared preliminary findings on state television late Thursday.
The statement noted that communications between the control tower and the helicopter crew prior to the crash contained nothing suspicious. The last communication occurred 90 seconds before the crash, involving two accompanying helicopters. Further details are expected as the investigation continues.
There was no sign of anything shot at the helicopter and its flight path did not change, the statement said. The aging Bell helicopter went down in a foggy, remote mountainous region of Iran’s northwest on Sunday. The crash site was discovered Monday morning with all eight on board dead.
Raisi was buried in a tomb at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad on Thursday.
(With inputs from Associated Press)