‘No sign’ of life in Raisi's helicopter: Iran State TV

The chief of Iran's Red Crescent said on Monday that the missing helicopter which was carrying President Ebrahim Raisi had been found but the situation was "not good".

"The helicopter has been found. Now, we are moving toward the helicopter," said Red Crescent chief Pirhossein Koolivand, adding "the situation is not good."

Besides, Iran's state television said Monday there was "no sign" of life among passengers of the helicopter which was carrying President Ebrahim Raisi and other officials.

"Upon finding the helicopter, there was no sign of the helicopter passengers being alive as of yet," state TV reported.

Search and rescue teams were scouring a fog-shrouded mountain area of northwest Iran Monday after Raisi's helicopter went missing in what state media described as an accident.

Fears grew for the 63-year-old ultraconservative after contact was lost with the aircraft carrying him as well as Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and others in East Azerbaijan province on Sunday, reports said.

After hours of searching, state TV reported early Monday that a Turkish drone appeared to have detected "the coordinates of the accident" and informed Iranian rescue teams.

"Rescue teams have been dispatched to the site," it added.