An Iranian helicopter on its way to a remote region in southwestern Iran for an election-related mission crashed on Saturday, killing all nine people on board, a provincial official said.
The helicopter was on the way back from Landi region, near Ardal town, where it had delivered makeshift ballot boxes for the eighth presidential elections, which were swept reformist incumbent President Mohammad Khatami, said the official Iranian news agency (IRNA).
Among the passengers were a nomad woman and her son, whose names were not released, the deputy governor of Ardal; Ali-Reza Rahnavard, an official in charge of the intelligence department of Ardal; Ardal's police department chief, Colonel Torki; and an elections supervisor.
An informed source told IRNA that the helicopter crashed after its tail slammed into a mountain near Landi.
He said that one of the passengers, who had jumped out of the helicopter, was crushed to death after the wreckage of the chopper fell on him.
Iran had sent three helicopters to the southwestern province of Chahar-Mahal Bakhtiari to carry ballot boxes to remote and mountainous areas for election procedures.
The area of the helicopter crash cannot be easily reached, said IRNA.
An expert delegation has been dispatched to the region to investigate the incident, said the agency - Albawaba.com
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