EUROPE OFFERS CONDOLENCES OVER IRAN PLANE CRASH
PRESS TV
July 16 2009
Iran
Iran-based Armenian Archbishop Sebuh Sarkissian (L) leads a religious
?service at the crash site of the Caspian Airlines plane, which fell
into ?farmland on July 15 near the city of Qazvin.?
European countries have offered their condolences to Iran over the
tragic plane crash near the Iranian city of Qazvin that claimed
168 lives.
The Tupolev plane went down near Jannat-Abad village at 11:33 am
local time on Wednesday after it departed the Iranian capital of
Tehran for Yerevan in Armenia.
According to Iran’s Aviation Organization spokesman Reza Jafarzadeh,
the 7908 Caspian Airlines flight crashed 16 minutes after its take-off
from Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKIA).
Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis expressed her condolences over
the loss to her Iranian counterpart, Manouchehr Mottaki, on Thursday.
Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini also voiced his deepest
sympathy to Mr. Mottaki and the families of the victims.
Pope Benedict XVI also offered his prayers to the deceased and their
families.
In a telegram signed by Card Tarcisio Bertone sent to Mgr Jean-Paul
Gobel, apostolic nuncio to Iran, Benedict XVI offered "his heartfelt
condolences to the civil authorities and the families of the victims".
The Pope said he would pray "for the eternal repose of the dead"
and implore "the almighty and merciful God’s gifts of comfort and
strength on those who mourn the loss of their loved ones."
The US, Russia, Germany and the UAE had earlier expressed sympathy
with the Iranian nation over the crash.