TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian search and rescue teams on Monday reached the site of a plane crash the previous day that authorities say killed all 65 people on board, Iran’s Press TV reported. The Aseman Airlines ATR-72, a twin-engine turboprop used for short-distance regional flying, went down on Sunday in foggy weather, crashing into Mount Dena in a remote area of southern Iran. Aseman Airlines said all on board Flight EP3704 were killed, including six crew members. Pic: Ali Khodaei/Tasnim News Agency via AP

The crash of the aircraft, brought back into service only months ago after being grounded for seven years, was yet another fatal aviation disaster for Iran, which for years was barred from buying necessary aeroplane parts due to Western sanctions over its contested nuclear programme. Read more: Iran plane crash kills all 65 people on board

Press TV said search teams reached the crash site before dawn on Monday. An official of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) had said earlier that 80 search teams were conducting an operation at Mount Dena in the Zagros mountain range after weather conditions improved. The TV broadcast footage of a helicopter joining the search and showed ambulances and rescue vehicles preparing to reach the site on Mount Dena, which is about 4,400 meters (14,435 feet) tall. Mountain climbers and rescue workers who had reached the site of the plane crash said on Tuesday that 15 of the bodies were identifiable, Fars news agency reported. High winds have made it difficult to fly helicopters and drones, hampering search efforts. The site is reportedly at a height of 3,500 meters (11,482 feet). Following the landmark 2015 nuclear accord with world powers that lifted international sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear enrichment program, Iran is allowed to purchase airplanes and airplane parts and has made deals worth tens of billions of dollars for new aircraft. However, US president Donald Trump's refusal to re-certify the deal has injected uncertainty into those sales. It was not immediately clear what caused the crash, although weather was severe.
Iranian forces have spotted the wreckage of the missing Aseman Airliner 30 meters below a hilltop on mount Dena. Helicopters could not land yet at the crash site due to weather and topographical conditions. 65 people are feared dead.