Three British nationals were on board the Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 plane that crashed in Iran, leaving no survivors the Ukrainian Foreign Minister said.
Vadym Prystaiko announced the nationalities of those on board the crashed jet.
He tweeted: "We are currently aware of the following information on the countries of origin of those killed in the crash #PS752 : Iran - 82; Canada - 63; Ukraine - 2 + 9 (crew); Sweden - 10; Afghanistan - 4; Germany - 3; United Kingdom - 3. We express our condolences. The Ukrainian authorities continue to investigate."
Наразі нам відома наступна інформація щодо країн походження загиблих в катастрофі #PS752:
— Vadym Prystaiko (@VPrystaiko) January 8, 2020
Іран - 82;
Канада - 63;
Україна - 2 + 9(екіпаж);
Швеція - 10;
Афганістан - 4;
ФРН - 3;
Велика Британія - 3.
Висловлюємо наші співчуття. Українська влада продовжує розслідування.
The aircraft carrying at least 170 people crashed on Wednesday shortly after takeoff from Tehran’s main airport, killing all on board, state television reported.
The plane had taken off from Imam Khomeini International Airport in the Iranian capital. The crash is suspected to have been caused by mechanical issues, the TV station reported, without elaborating.
An investigation team was at the site of the crash in south-western outskirts of Tehran, civil aviation spokesman Reza Jafarzadeh said.
READ MORE: Iran launches missiles at US bases in Iraq
“After taking off from Imam Khomeini International Airport, it crashed between Parand and Shahriar,” he said. “An investigation team from the national aviation department was dispatched to the location after the news was announced.”
Rescue workers at the scene of a plane crash on the outskirts of Tehran, Iran (Mohammad Nasir/APi)
Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) said its flight from Tehran to Kyiv disappeared from radar just a “few minutes” after taking off from Tehran International Airport.
In a statement on its website, the Ukrainian national carrier said its staff were “clarifying the exact number” of passengers on board the flight, which took off 6.10am local time (2.40am UK) on Wednesday.
Terrible news from the Middle East. This morning, after departing from Tehran International Airport, a UIA passenger plane crashed near the airport. According to preliminary reports, all 167 passengers and crew of 9 members died. Sincere condolences to family and friends.
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 8, 2020
The company said: “According to preliminary data, there were 167 passengers and nine crew members on board. UIA representatives are currently clarifying the exact number of passengers on board.
“Passenger lists will be posted on the airline’s website after final confirmation of their presence on board of the aircraft.
“The airline expresses its deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the air crash and will do everything possible to support the relatives of the victims.”
Ukraine International Airlines confirms air accident in Iran Today, on January 08, 2020, a “Ukraine International…
Posted by Fly UIA on Wednesday, January 8, 2020
The UIA statement added all flights to Tehran were suspended with immediate effect until further notice and added it was investigating the cause of the crash.
It said: “As at 9.30am (local time), UIA in close cooperation with the aviation authorities, takes all measures to determine the causes of the air accident. In parallel, the airline will be contacting the relatives of the passengers, providing all possible assistance in the current situation.
“The flight was operated on a Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft (registration UR-PSR).
“The aircraft was built in 2016 and delivered directly to the airline from the manufacturer. The last scheduled maintenance of the aircraft took place on 06 January, 2020.
“Investigation will be conducted with the involvement of the aviation authorities of Ukraine, Iran, representatives of the Boeing manufacturer, the airline, and the National Bureau of Air Accidents Investigation of Ukraine.
“The airline will inform about the progress of the investigation and the causes of the tragic event as soon as they are identified.”
Pir Hossein Kulivand, an Iranian emergency official, later told state TV all those on board were killed in the crash. He said rescuers were trying to collect the dead.
State TV earlier had previously said there were 180 passengers and crew aboard.
Flight data from the airport showed a Ukrainian 737-800 flown by Ukraine International Airlines took off on Wednesday morning, then stopped sending data almost immediately afterwards, according to website FlightRadar24. The airline did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Associated Press journalists who reached the crash site saw a wide field of debris scattered across farmland. The dead lay among shattered pieces of the aircraft.
Rescuers in masks shouted over the noise of hovering helicopters as they worked.
The crash came hours after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack targeting two bases in Iraq housing US forces in retaliation for the killing of Revolutionary Guard General Qassem Soleimani.
Debris from a plane crash on the outskirts of Tehran, Iran (Mohammad Nasiri/AP)
The Boeing 737-800 is a very common single-aisle, twin-engine jetliner used for short to medium-range flights. Thousands of the planes are used by airlines around the world.
READ MORE: At least 17 killed in Pakistan plane crash
Introduced in the late 1990s, it is an older model than the Boeing 737 MAX, which has been grounded for nearly 10 months following two deadly crashes.
A number of 737-800 aircraft have been involved in deadly accidents over the years.
In March 2016, a FlyDubai 737-800 from Dubai crashed while trying to land at Rostov-on-Don airport in Russia, killing 62 on board. Another 737-800 flight from Dubai, operated by Air India Express, crashed in May 2010 while trying to land in Mangalore, India, killing more than 150.
The Chicago-based Boeing was “aware of the media reports out of Iran and we are gathering more information,” spokesman Michael Friedman told the Associated Press.
Boeing, like other airline manufacturers, typically assists in crash investigations. However, that effort in this case could be affected by the US sanctions campaign in place on Iran since President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers in May 2018.
Both Airbus and Boeing had been in line to sell billions of dollars of aircraft to Iran over the deal, which saw Tehran limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. But Mr Trump’s decision halted the sales.
Under decades of international sanctions, Iran’s commercial passenger aircraft fleet has aged, with air accidents occurring regularly for domestic carriers in recent years, resulting in hundreds of casualties.
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