Tehran plane crash

Iranian state television reported that a Taban Air aircraft crashed on Sunday morning, soon after taking off from an airport west of Tehran.

Officials said some 48 people were aboard the Iran-140 plane. The aircraft, which crashed at 9.18 a.m. local time (0448 UTC), was heading to the eastern city of Tabas, the IRNA and Fars news agencies said.

Initial reports were that all of the crew and passengers had been killed, but the death toll was later revised to at least 37.

The plane was said to have gone down in a residential area, although there were no details of ground fatalities.

"Initial reports indicate that the 40 people aboard the plane have been killed, including seven children," IRNA reported.

The agency said that a shutdown of at least one of the engines caused the crash. The Iran-140 is a 52-passenger plane made in Iran using Ukrainian technology.

In recent years, Iran has suffered a numerous airplane crashes, mainly attributed to aging aircraft in inadequate maintenance. Iranian politicians have blamed international sanctions imposed on the country because of its nuclear program, with new planes and spare parts being difficult to obtain.

rc/nm (AP, AFP, Reuters)