Plane Crashes Shortly After Takeoff, Killing All 176 People Onboard

A Boeing 737 carrying 176 people reportedly suffered engine failure shortly after take-off from Iran Wednesday, killing everyone on board.

According to Reuters.com, the Ukraine International Airlines flight had departed from Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport en route to Kyiv when it reportedly suffered an engine issue that caused the aircraft to crash six miles from the facility.

Ukraine’s embassy in Iran reported the initial data suggests the crash was not terrorism-related, but the airline is working with Boeing officials and authorities from Ukraine and Iran to determine the cause of the deadly incident.

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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed that all 167 passengers and nine crew members on board at the time of the crash died, saying, “My sincere condolences to the relatives and friends of all passengers and crew.”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko revealed the nationalities of the passengers, saying there were 82 travelers from Iran, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians, 10 Swedes, three Germans and three Britons.

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Local media outlets reported the pilot did not declare an emergency before the crash, but the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder had been found in the wreckage. Photos from the scene show search and rescue teams with face masks retrieving the bodies of victims.

The plane involved in Ukraine International Airlines’ first fatal crash was a three-year-old Boeing 737-800NG, which has a stellar safety record and does not feature the same software implicated in two fatal 737 MAX crashes.

A Boeing spokesman said the company was gathering more information.

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