Details of Ukrainian Aircraft Passengers: 144 Iranians and 32 Foreign Nationals Killed
Following the crash of a Ukrainian aircraft after takeoff from Imam Khomeini Airport in the vicinity of Parand New City in Tehran and the death of 176 passengers on board, reports indicate that 144 of the victims in this incident are Iranian citizens, 11 Ukrainian citizens, 10 Afghan nationals, as well as four Swedish nationals, one British national, and six Canadian nationals.
Iranian domestic media reported on the morning of Wednesday, December 18th, that a Boeing 737 aircraft took off from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Airport bound for Kyiv, Ukraine, and crashed in the vicinity of Parand New City in Tehran Province at 6:18 local time, killing all 176 passengers and crew on board, comprising 167 passengers and 9 flight crew members.
Sharif University of Technology has also confirmed that 13 students from this university lost their lives in this incident.
According to Associated Press, the crash of the Ukrainian aircraft occurred several hours after “Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on Iraqi bases where American soldiers were stationed. However, Ukrainian and Iranian officials said that a technical malfunction likely caused the Boeing 737 to crash.”
Earlier, Associated Press had reported, citing Ukrainian airport authorities, that most passengers on this aircraft were Iranian students returning to Kyiv after New Year holidays. Iran’s Medical Examiner Organization also reported that the process of identifying the victims of the Ukrainian aircraft crash would take approximately three days to one week.
According to reports, “the Ukrainian aircraft crashed in an uninhabited area and farmland, and caused no damage to surrounding houses.”
A Boeing company official told Associated Press that they were aware of the developments in Iran and were gathering information. Reports also indicate that two black boxes from the aircraft have been found.
Source: Voice of America
