TEHRAN — An Iranian Army helicopter crashed into a fruit market in central Iran on Tuesday, killing four people and igniting a fire that was later extinguished by emergency crews, state media reported.
The aircraft went down in the city of Dorcheh in Isfahan Province, according to official accounts. The victims included the pilot and co-pilot, as well as two merchants who were working at the market at the time of the crash.
Authorities said the helicopter struck the marketplace and burst into flames, sending plumes of smoke over the surrounding neighborhood. Emergency responders arrived swiftly and brought the fire under control. No immediate details were released about the cause of the crash.
The incident adds to a string of aviation accidents in Iran, where experts have long pointed to an aging fleet and maintenance challenges. Decades of sanctions have restricted access to original spare parts for many aircraft purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, complicating upkeep and modernization efforts.
Just last week, a U.S.-built F-4 fighter jet operated by the Iranian Air Force crashed during a training mission in Hamadan Province, killing one pilot. That aircraft was part of a fleet acquired before the revolution and still in service.
In May 2024, a helicopter carrying then-President Ebrahim Raisi was involved in what officials described as a “crash upon landing” in the mountainous Varzaqan region during poor weather conditions. The episode intensified scrutiny of flight safety standards within the country’s military and civilian aviation sectors.
Tuesday’s crash in Dorcheh is likely to renew questions about operational protocols and aircraft maintenance, particularly in densely populated areas. For residents of the market district, however, the tragedy was immediate and personal — an ordinary day of commerce disrupted by a sudden descent from the sky.
Leave a Reply