Three people, including two crew members, were killed when an Iranian military fighter jet crashed on Monday in Tabriz, northwest Iran, according to state television. The television quoted the director of the Red Crescent in Tabriz, who stated that the fighter jet crashed near the wall of a school that was closed at the time of the incident, resulting in the deaths of two crew members and a third person on-site. The official channel indicated that the causes of the crash are under investigation.
The Shahid Fakouri Air Base reported that the plane crashed while flying over Tabriz in a neighborhood in the northwest part of the city. Muhammad Baqer Hanarvar, the director of the Crisis Management Agency in East Azerbaijan Province, explained that a training "F-5" fighter jet crashed at around 9 a.m. (05:30 GMT) in the Manjan neighborhood of the city, according to the television's website. He noted, "Fortunately, the school was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic."
Initial reports indicated casualties and injuries following the military aircraft's crash onto residential buildings in Tabriz. The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) stated that preliminary reports suggest the Iranian warplane crashed near a school, leading to the pilot's death. The agency confirmed that authorities are investigating the disaster. Meanwhile, the semi-official Mehr News Agency reported that the cause of the incident is under investigation, confirming that the military plane crashed inside the "Shahid Alipour" sports hall located on Manjan Street.
It was confirmed that the governor of East Azerbaijan was present at the crash site in Tabriz, where he witnessed the firefighting efforts following the incident. Short videos circulated on social media showed firefighters working to extinguish flames at the crash site. The Iranian Red Crescent Society posted footage on its Twitter account showing several fire trucks at the scene and dozens of people, including rescue workers and security personnel, cordoning off the area.
The footage displayed smoke billowing from the crash site, with black soot covering the walls of a building behind the wall where the fighter jet crashed. Additionally, twisted metal fragments were scattered on the ground as firefighters worked to completely extinguish the flames.
The Iranian Air Force operates a diverse fleet of American-made military aircraft purchased before the Islamic Revolution in 1979. It also possesses Russian-made "Mig" and "Sukhoi" aircraft. Decades of Western sanctions have made it challenging to maintain the aging fleet.
