Puzzle over plane crash with over 170 dead in Iran

Shortly after takeoff, a passenger plane from Ukraine crashes near Tehran. Nobody survives. The crash coincides with the politically explosive situation in Iran. In Ukraine this brings back bad memories.

All that is left of the Boeing 737 on its flight from Iran to Ukraine. Rescue workers are looking for survivors in a field between the charred remains of the machine on Wednesday.

It quickly becomes clear that nobody has survived the crash of the Ukrainian passenger plane near the airport in the Iranian capital Tehran. More than 170 people die. According to Ukrainian information, there should be at least three Germans among them.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj is shocked. He speaks of "terrible news from the Middle East". Ukraine now wants to examine all possible causes - because the crash awakens bad memories.

Hours after the crash it is completely unclear why the Ukraine International Airlines plane fell to the ground shortly after take-off. The incident falls into the politically tense situation in the country. Iran's conflict with the United States has intensified dramatically in recent days. It is unclear whether there is a connection.

The airline's president, Yevgeny Dychne, wrestles with words when he meets journalists in Kiev. "It was one of our best planes, with an excellent, reliable crew," he says visibly moved. The machine had only been in use for the company since 2016, which was founded in 1992 and has not had any major accidents since then. The Boeing 737-800 NG was only checked on Monday - without problems, as the airline claims.

How many people were exactly on board is not entirely clear even hours after the incident. Iran initially speaks of 179 people, Ukraine of 176. Passengers came from seven different countries, the authorities in Kiev say.

What exactly happened in the last minutes of flight PS 752 from Tehran to Kiev could be answered by the block box with the flight data. According to Iranian information, it was found between the rubble. According to the airline, the aircraft had already reached a height of 2400 meters after take-off before it crashed. "The probability of an error by the crew is minimal," said the Vice President of the airline Igor Sosnowski.

The Iranian authorities quickly presented a possible cause: According to media reports, the aviation authority spoke of a technical defect. The basis on which this assessment was based remained open.

Selenskyj only says: "I ask everyone very much to refrain from speculation and the distribution of untested versions of the disaster until the publication of official information." He chooses his words carefully.

In Ukraine, the crash brings back memories of the launch of the Malaysian MH17 passenger plane in 2014 over eastern Ukraine. At that time, 298 people were suddenly killed by an anti-aircraft missile in circumstances that are still not entirely clear.

"We have to check all possible versions," said Selenskyi via his press service. He instructed the attorney general to initiate criminal proceedings. Selenskyj would personally control all measures. He also ended his stay in the Sultanate of Oman on the Arabian Peninsula, which is in the immediate vicinity of the hotspot. (AP)