Up to 168 Aboard Plane Killed in Iran Crash

[tekisui]

Source: Reuters

TEHRAN (Reuters) - A Tupolev passenger aircraft crashed in northwestern Iran on Wednesday and 168 people on board were killed, Iranian media reported.

The Caspian Airlines aircraft was carrying 153 passengers and 15 crew, Reza Jafarzadeh, a spokesman for Iran's aviation organization, told state television.

State television showed footage of debris from the plane and some body parts.

"It's been a major disaster with pieces of aircraft spread over an area of 200 square meters," a fire brigade official told Iranian state television.

"There was an explosion which left an indentation 10 meters deep in the ground. There was nothing we could do. We tried to put out the fire as best we could," he said.

more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE56E1RG20090715

[aquart]

1. Please don't let it have anything to do with the unrest.

[tekisui]

2. Sadly, that was my first thought, too.

[cali]

5. my first thought after thinking what a tragedy, was how long will it take

certain DUers to accuse the Obama administration of downing the jet.

[moggie]

3. About that area

"It's been a major disaster with pieces of aircraft spread over an area of 200 square meters," a fire brigade official told Iranian state television.

If that were a square, it'd be about 14m on a side. That's obviously not right.

[malaise]

4. Sad

just saw a clip on BBC