Iran continues search to find debris of ATR plane: Emergency official

'There is still no sign of the plane,' Jalal Pouranfard told the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

Despite the ten-hour effort yesterday to search for the crashed plane which departed Tehran for Yassouj on Sunday morning, still nothing is found, Pouranfard said.

The official added 40 ambulances and 45 search and rescue teams are present in the scene where is reportedly the plce where the crash occurred.

Today, the official said, drones and helicopters will be used in the operations if the weather is fine.

In a related development, another provincial official told IRNA that two aid helicopters have been sent from Kohkilouyeh-Boyer Ahmand Province to the scene to find the passengers and crew who may be killed after the crash.

Head of the Red Cross in this province, too, said Monday that an expert team from Mountain Rescue has been dispatched by chopper to the likely scene of the crash.

But, Amanollah Jahanbin added, the research operation has been unsuccessful up to now.

Also, spokesman for Iran Emergency Center announced today that Iranian Army is to send a helicopter to the mountainous region to continue the search operation.

Meanwhile, Isfahan motorcycle and automobile racing commission had expressed its readiness Sunday to dispatch its Off-Road vehicles to the Padena region to help search and rescue operations.

To review the crashed plane case, Iranian Minister of Road and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi left Tehran for Yassouj this morning.

Also, Head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization public relations office Reza Jafarzadeh told IRNA on Monday that a seven-member delegation from France is to arrive in Tehran tonight to examine the reason behind the crash of the ATR passenger plane.

The Asseman Airlines' passenger plane crashed in the Kohangan Village near the Padena region, 120 Km from Semirom in Isfahan Province, center of Iran. The debris of the plane has not been found yet, but all the 66 passengers and crew of it are reportedly killed.

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