SHAHEDSHAHR, Iran (AP) – A Ukrainian airliner carrying 176 people crashed on the outskirts of Tehran during a takeoff attempt Wednesday hours after Iran launched its missile attack on U.S. forces, scattering flaming debris and passengers’ belongings across farmland and killing everyone on board.
Iranian officials said they suspected a mechanical problem brought down the 3-year-old Boeing 737. Ukrainian officials initially agreed but later backed away and declined to offer a cause while the investigation is going on.
The Ukraine International Airlines flight was carrying 167 passengers and nine crew members from several countries. Ukraine Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said there were 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians and 11 Ukrainians on board, along with 10 Swedish, four Afghan, three German and three British citizens.
Airline officials said most of the passengers were en route to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Passengers on the flight are often Iranian students returning to Ukraine after the winter holidays or Iranian-Canadians on their way to Toronto.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy cut short a visit to Oman to return to Kyiv and said a team of Ukrainian experts would fly to Tehran to help investigate the crash.