Iran: mourning across nation in the wake of president's death

Mourning continues across Iran in the wake of President Ebrahaim Raisi’s death

Iranians gathered in the streets across the the nation to express their grief over the death of their president and his companions.

 He was killed alongside the Iranian Foreign Minister in a helicopter crash in a mountainous area near Azerbaijan, state media reported.

Local media report a total of nine people, including the flight crew, were killed in the helicopter crash.

They had been travelling back to Iran from a ceremony where they had inaugurated a dam with the Azerbaijani president.

 State media said the helicopter was forced to make a "hard landing" in the mountainous region after getting into difficulties due to heavy fog and bad weather.