Cargo plane crash in Iran kills 15 (Third Lead)

A Boeing 707 cargo plane crashed near the Iranian city of Karaj on Monday, killing at least 15 people on board, authorities said.

The cargo plane, which belonged to Iran's Army and had 16 people on board, went down at 8.30 a.m. in a residential area some 45 km west of Tehran, the Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA) quoted Pir Hossein Kolivand, head of the Emergency Centre of Iran, as saying.

It was supposed to land in Karaj's Payam International Airport but the pilot mistakenly took the plane to the Fath airport, which was not suited for large cargo aircraft.

"Due to a mistake by the pilot, it came down at the Fath airport," Fars News reported, citing Iranian officials.

After landing at the wrong airport, the plane went out of control and overshot the runway, hitting an empty residential building and catching fire, according to ISNA.

The Iranian Army said only one person -- a flight engineer -- of the 16 people on board was found alive and taken to hospital. An Army spokesman said the plane belonged to Iran and that all those on board were Iranian citizens.

The cargo aircraft was transporting meat from the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek. Its wreckage was found near houses between Fath and Payam airport.

--IANS

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