At least 63 dead in triple air tragedies

ISTANBUL/DUBAI: A wealthy Turkish socialite and her friends were among 11 people killed yesterday when a private plane bringing them home from a Dubai bachelorette party crashed into an Iranian mountainside near the city of Shahr-e Kord.

The plane, owned by Turkish tycoon Huseyin Basaran, carried eight passengers and three crew. Those on board included Basaran’s daughter Mina and seven of her friends, all flying back ahead of her planned wedding next month.

In NEW YORK, at least two people died on Sunday when the helicopter they were in crashed into Manhattan’s East River.

The chopper, owned by tourism group Liberty and carrying six people including the pilot, fell into the river near the upscale Upper East Side neighborhood shortly after 7pm local time.

“The pilot freed himself, but the other five did not,” said Fire Com- missioner Daniel Nigro.

“We are told the five people were all strapped in tightly in harnesses that had to be cut and removed.”

Divers rushed to the scene and freed the passengers, two of whom were pronounced dead, amid strong currents and frigid tem- peratures, Nigro added.

The other three were taken to hospital in critical condition.

In KATHMANDU, a Bangladeshi passenger plane crashed near Kathmandu Airport yesterday as it was coming in to land, killing at least 50. The plane caught fire after the crash. – Agencies