Iran plane crash site located, 65 killed

Search and rescue teams have reached the site of a plane crash in Iran that authorities say killed all 65 people on board.

The Aseman Airlines ATR-72, a twin-engine turboprop used for short-distance regional flying, went down on Sunday in foggy weather, crashing into Mount Dena in southern Iran.

The airliner said all on board Flight EP3704 were killed, including six crew members.

Iran's Press TV reported search teams reached the crash site before dawn on Monday. The station said the weather had improved though it was still windy.

The TV broadcast footage of a helicopter joining the search and showed ambulances and rescue vehicles preparing to reach the site on Mount Dena, which is about 4,400m.

The crash site is reportedly at a height of 3,500m.

It wasn't immediately clear what caused the crash, although weather was severe. Dense fog, high winds and heavy snow in the Zagros Mountains made it impossible for rescue crews in helicopters to reach the area on Sunday.

Aseman Airlines spokesman Mohammad Taghi Tabatabai told state TV that all on board Flight EP3704 were killed. It had 59 passengers and six crew members, the state-run IRNA news agency reported Sunday night, lowering the toll to 65 from an initially reported 66.

"After searching the area, we learned that unfortunately ... our dear passengers had lost their lives," Tabatabai said.

Both Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani offered their condolences.