IRAN: Families of crashed plane gather at site to remember their loved ones

Record ID: 313700

  • Title: IRAN: Families of crashed plane gather at site to remember their loved ones
  • Date: 17th July 2009
  • Summary: QAZVIN, IRAN (JULY 16,2009) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF WOMAN CRYING PIECE OF PLANE DEBRIS TWO WOMEN CRYING VARIOUS OF WOMAN PICKING UP EARTH TWO PEOPLE LOOKING THROUGH THE RELATIVE VARIOUS OF ARMENIAN CEREMONY WOMAN CRYING VARIOUS OF ARMENIAN CEREMONY PEOPLE GATHERING IN FRONT OF PLANE CRASHES VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CARRYING BOXES (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARMENIAN ARCHBISHOP IN IRAN, SEBOUH SARKISSIAN, SAYING: "First of all I am so sad, I am so nervous, I can't speak well. Yesterday we have had 168 people died in this area." VARIOUS OF LIFT TRUCK WORKING IN PLACE OF PLANE CRASHES
  • Embargoed: 1st August 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes,Transport
  • Reuters ID: LVA2YU7XFN9NE12SWTV9AEIN3L0R
  • Story Text: Relatives and friends gathered on Thursday (July 16) at the site of the crash near Qazvin where 168 people perished.
    The cause of the worst air disaster in the Islamic Republic for six years was still unknown, state television said.
    Two badly damaged black box recorders have been recovered from the Tupolev aircraft, official media reported on Thursday.
    At the site of the crash scores of relatives attended a ceremony to honour the dead. Mourners threw flowers in the crater where the victims perished.
    Sebouh Sarkissian, an Armenian archbishop based in Iran, conducted some of the ceremony. He said he was very nervous. "First of all I am so sad, I am so nervous, I can't speak well. Yesterday we have had 168 people died in this area," he said.
    The Russian-built Caspian Airlines aircraft was on its way to neighbouring Armenia's capital Yerevan on WEdnesday (July 15) when it came down after catching fire in mid-air and ploughing into farmland 16 minutes after departing Tehran.
    The aircraft exploded on impact and left scattered bits of incinerated metal and fragments of the bodies of 153 passengers and 15 crew across a wide area around a deep smoking crater.
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