FACT CHECK: Does This Image Show The Aftermath Of Ebrahim Raisi Helicopter Crash?
A post shared on social media allegedly shows a photo of the recent helicopter crash that killed Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
View this post on Instagram
Verdict: False
The photo is from 2020 and shows a training plane, not a helicopter.
Fact Check:
The bodies of Raisi and Iranian foreign ministers were found after their helicopter crashed in the northwest mountains of Iran, but State TV has not yet given a cause for the crash, The Associated Press reported. First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber will take the role of acting president until the country’s June 28 elections, according to the outlet.
A post shared on Instagram allegedly shows rescue crews discovering the wreckage of the crash. The photo shows several men searching a wooded area near plane debris.
A translation of the caption reads, “Iranian Mehr Agency: The Iranian President and the rest of the helicopter passengers died in the accident while performing work duty in East Azerbaijan Province, northwest of the country.”
The claim is inaccurate. The image dates back to 2020 when an airplane traveling from Tehran crashed. The Red Crescent, a humanitarian organization, reported the news on Twitter at the time.
#سقوط_هواپیما در مازندران/خلبان و کمک خلبان جانباختند
رییس سازمان امدادونجات:
یک فروند هواپیما که از بیشه کلاه به مقصد تهران در حال پرواز بوده است بر اساس گزارش مردمی و نهادهای نظامی در ساعت ۱۳:۰۰ UTC، حوالی #متلقو (سلمان شهر) سقوط کردجزییات بیشترhttps://t.co/7tFY8jxgGM pic.twitter.com/Owei5h4bB7
— جمعیت هلالاحمر ایران (@Iranian_RCS) April 22, 2020
According to tinn.ir, “A training plane that was flying from Bisheh Kolah to Tehran. The wreckage of the plane was found near the city of Salman in the area of Qila Kala Abbas Abad. Sardar Ahmed Nooryan said about the details of the crash of the police plane in the north of the country.” (RELATED: Viral X Photo Of Iranian President Predates Helicopter Crash)
This is not the first time misinformation has been shared online. Check Your Fact debunked a that Harrison Butker followed up in commencement speech by saying women should have “more babies than thoughts.”