Tasnim � The head of the Red Crescent Society of Isfahan Province said two 30-strong teams have been dispatched to Mount Dena in southwest Iran, where an ATR plane recently crashed, in order to assess the situation.


Sparking to the Tasnim News Agency, Mohsen Momeni said the two teams were sent to the crash zone on Monday morning to examine the situation and identify routes to be used for the search operation.

The official said one of the teams plans to approach the crash zone from north and the other from south, adding that they will assess the situation in order to send helicopters to the crash zone.

Momeni went on to say that currently, a helicopter has been stationed at the foot of the mountain waiting for the outcome of assessments by the two teams about the possibility of the resumption of search operations, which were halted due to bad weather conditions.

On February 18, the ATR plane, flying from capital Tehran to the southwestern city of Yasouj, crashed into near the top of Mount Pazanpir with a height of 4,300 meters.

After an intense search operation for the missing flight, choppers of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) found the charred wreckage of the plane bearing the Aseman Airlines insignia on February 20.

While local medics say the mountain rescue teams have retrieved 45 bodies, only a few bodies have been brought down because of harsh weather at the site of the crash.

Blizzard and strong winds brought all rescue efforts to a halt on Thursday.

Families of victims of the flight have also taken DNA tests to identify the bodies, officials said.

The doomed plane was a twin-engine turboprop used for short flight routes.

Speculations link the crash to adverse weather conditions, technical problems, or a culmination of such factors.