TEHRAN, Iran — An Iranian commercial plane crashed in a foggy and mountainous southwestern region of the country Sunday, killing all 66 people on board, according to the airline.
The Aseman Airlines ATR-72 plane, a twin-engine turboprop used for short-haul regional flight, was traveling from the capital, Tehran, to the southwestern city of Yasuj. It crashed in the Zagros mountain range, about 390 miles south of the capital.
Airline spokesman Mohammad Taghi Tabatabai told state TV that all on the flight were killed. The plane carried 60 passengers, including one child, and six crew members.
Tabatabai said that the plane crashed into Mount Dena, which is about 1,400 feet tall, because of bad weather and that rescue helicopters couldn't reach the remote crash site because of fog.
The Iranian Red Crescent said it has deployed to the area.
Aseman Airlines, a semi-private air carrier with headquarters in Tehran, specializes in flights to remote airfields across the country. It also flies internationally.
Under decades of international sanctions, Iran's commercial passenger aircraft fleet has aged, with air accidents occurring regularly in recent years.
Following the 2015 landmark nuclear deal with world powers, Iran signed deals with Airbus and Boeing to buy scores of passenger planes.
