40 ARMENIANS AMONG CASPIAN AIR CRASH VICTIMS

16th July 2009

The Armenian Foreign Ministry reported Wednesday that among the 168 victims of the Caspian Air crash, 40 were Armenians, among them Dr. Levon Davitian, a former member of the Iranian Parliament and chairman of the Tehran Prelacy Executive Council.

A Yerevan-bound Iranian passenger plane crashed in northwest of Iran, near the city of Ghazvin, just before noon on Wednesday, with all 168 people on board confirmed dead.

The Tupolev plane reportedly went down near Jannat-abad village near Ghazvin at 11:33 am local time after it took off from the Iranian capital Tehran to fly to Armenian capital Yerevan.

The list of the victims published by the Armenian Head Department of Civil Aviation shows most of the passengers were Iranians and Armenians.

Armenia's President Serzh Sarkisian cut shot his provincial trip on Wednesday and promptly returned to capital Yerevan upon learning the news, his presidential office confirmed to RFE/RL.

In his words of condolences released by his office, Sarkisian said: "We can't recover the losses, but we express our support to the families and friends of the victims." Sarkisian also declared July 16 a national day of mourning.

"The Armenian authorities are doing everything possible to help them at this difficult moment. It is difficult to find words of consolation for the people who lost a family member or relative. I wish them spiritual strength and courage to overcome this great tragedy," said Sarkisian.

Sarkisian's Iranian counterpart has also expressed condolences to the families of the victims. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reportedly ordered his country's Roads and Transportation Ministry to launch a probe into the disaster.

Below is the list of Armenians who perished on the plane: