First bodies from plane crash transferred down mountain
Rescue workers transferred the first bodies recovered from the site of the plane crash at a mountain peak in southwestern Iran to the ground as search-and-rescue teams and Army commandos are making efforts to recover all the 66 bodies.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society of Isfahan Province made the announcement on Wednesday, Press TV reported.
This is while heavy snow and blizzards were hampering operations at the crash site.
Isfahan Governorate General Office said 32 bodies have been recovered so far at the crash site, around 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) up snow-covered Mount Dena.
Earlier, an Army commander said that commandos were transferring seven bodies all the way down to the foot of the mountain, and that efforts would be made to transfer the rest within the next few hours.
Tasnim News Agency quoted an army spokesman as saying on Wednesday that harsh weather conditions brought the heliborne rescue efforts to a halt at the site of the plane crash.
General Shahin Taqikhani said that adverse weather conditions on Wednesday morning made it impossible for the helicopters to continue aerial operation for transferring the bodies.
Local officials said rescue teams were only engaged in ground operations as the visibility had been reduced to two meters in the region.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps also said that 24 expert teams carrying 30 stretchers were climbing the mountain to recover the bodies.
After an intense search operation for the missing flight, choppers of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) found charred wreckage of the plane bearing the Aseman Airlines insignia on Tuesday.
The Aseman Airlines ATR-72 plane with 66 people on board was flying over the Zagros mountain range to the southwestern city of Yasuj on Sunday when it disappeared from the radar around the town of Semirom in Isfahan Province.
All on board Flight EP3704 were killed, including 60 passengers and six crew members.
Helicopters managed to spot the plane’s debris three days later after weather conditions improved.
The black box of the airplane has still not been found local officials told state TV.
Meanwhile, Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi said all efforts were directed towards finding the black box to find out what exactly caused the airliner to go down.
Meanwhile, deputy commander of Iran Army Ground Forces Norouz Nemati told IRNA that the bodies of some victims are buried under the snow.
A seven-member delegation from France, including officials from the French-italian aircraft manufacturer ATR, arrived in Iran on Monday to assist the investigation.