Iran Plane Crash Kills 71; 35 Survive

Snow, fog hampered rescue efforts
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jan 9, 2011 4:07 PM CST
Iran Plane Crash Kills 71; 35 Survive
In this image made from TV rescue workers attend the scene after an IranAir passenger jet carrying around 100 people crashed as it was making an emergency landing Jan. 9, 2011.   ((AP Photo / Al Alam) NO ACCESS BBC PERSIAN NO ACCESS VOA PERSIAN IRAN OUT)

An IranAir passenger jet carrying 106 people crashed as it was making an emergency landing today in a snowstorm in the country's northwest and broke into several pieces, killing 71 of those on board, Iranian media reported. The others, including two crew members, survived with light injuries. The pilots of the Boeing-727, operated by Iran's national airline, reportedly attempted the emergency landing in the city of Orumiyeh after reporting a technical failure to the control tower.

A state TV network said the aircraft disappeared from radar and went down in farmland after making a second attempt to land. There was no word on what might have caused the crash. Heavy snow complicated rescue efforts, said the head of the State Emergency Canter, according to the semiofficial Fars news agency. That report also said there was fog in the area. (More Iran stories.)

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