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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
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| Dozens killed in Iran plane fire | Dozens killed in Iran plane fire |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A passenger plane has skidded off a runway and burst into flames in Iran's north-eastern city of Mashhad, killing 29 of those aboard. | A passenger plane has skidded off a runway and burst into flames in Iran's north-eastern city of Mashhad, killing 29 of those aboard. |
| Early Iranian TV reports had put the death toll at 80 for the Russian-built jet carrying at least 148 people from the southern port city of Bandar Abbas. | Early Iranian TV reports had put the death toll at 80 for the Russian-built jet carrying at least 148 people from the southern port city of Bandar Abbas. |
| The fire began when the Tu-154 left the runway on landing at 1345 (1015 GMT), possibly because of a burst tyre. | The fire began when the Tu-154 left the runway on landing at 1345 (1015 GMT), possibly because of a burst tyre. |
| Mashhad is a popular destination for Shia pilgrims visiting a shrine there. | Mashhad is a popular destination for Shia pilgrims visiting a shrine there. |
| Television pictures showed a broken, partially charred plane lying on the side of a runway, as firefighters damped down the smouldering wreck. | Television pictures showed a broken, partially charred plane lying on the side of a runway, as firefighters damped down the smouldering wreck. |
| Casualty confusion | Casualty confusion |
| Nourollah Rezai Niaraki, chairman of Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation, said in an interview on TV that the plane had slid off the runway, "then its left wing hit the ground and caught fire". | Nourollah Rezai Niaraki, chairman of Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation, said in an interview on TV that the plane had slid off the runway, "then its left wing hit the ground and caught fire". |
| Much of the plane's fuselage was charred | |
| He said that 29 people had died, correcting the earlier TV reports. | He said that 29 people had died, correcting the earlier TV reports. |
| A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Organisation, Reza Jafarzadeh, said the cause of the incident was still not clear. | A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Organisation, Reza Jafarzadeh, said the cause of the incident was still not clear. |
| But the flight's crew survived the accident, Roads and Transport Minister Mohammad Rahmati told Iran's student news agency Isna. | But the flight's crew survived the accident, Roads and Transport Minister Mohammad Rahmati told Iran's student news agency Isna. |
| "This will be a great help to find out the cause of the accident as soon as possible," he added. | "This will be a great help to find out the cause of the accident as soon as possible," he added. |
| Air disaster history | Air disaster history |
| The BBC's Tehran correspondent, Frances Harrison, says Mashhad, which lies 1,000 km (620 miles) north-east of the capital, is a major pilgrimage destination for devout Shias as it houses the shrine of Imam Reza. | The BBC's Tehran correspondent, Frances Harrison, says Mashhad, which lies 1,000 km (620 miles) north-east of the capital, is a major pilgrimage destination for devout Shias as it houses the shrine of Imam Reza. |
| Iran has a terrible record of airline safety, our correspondent says. | Iran has a terrible record of airline safety, our correspondent says. |
| One reason for this is US sanctions, which prevent the Iranian government from buying spare parts for its ageing fleet or purchasing new aircraft from major aviation companies in the West, she adds. | One reason for this is US sanctions, which prevent the Iranian government from buying spare parts for its ageing fleet or purchasing new aircraft from major aviation companies in the West, she adds. |
| Planes from Iran Air Tours crashed in 2002, 1993 and 1992 - on all occasions, there were no survivors. | Planes from Iran Air Tours crashed in 2002, 1993 and 1992 - on all occasions, there were no survivors. |
| The Tupolev-154 has for more than a quarter of a century been the backbone of Russian and Soviet air transport. | The Tupolev-154 has for more than a quarter of a century been the backbone of Russian and Soviet air transport. |
| According to Paul Duffy, Russian editor of Air Transport World, few Tu-154 accidents appear to have involved technical failure. | According to Paul Duffy, Russian editor of Air Transport World, few Tu-154 accidents appear to have involved technical failure. |