Iran Condoles with Nigeria over Tragic Plane Crash

05 June 2012 | 16:40 Code : 1902343 Latest Headlines

(FNA)- Iran in a message condoled with the people and government of Nigeria over the death of the country's citizens in the recent plane crash.


In a message to his Nigerian counterpart, Olugbenga Ashiru, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi expressed condolences on the tragic crash of a passenger plane, which claimed several lives.

"The tragic news of the plane crash which claimed several lives grieved me and the Iranian nation," Salehi said in his message.

Salehi also expressed his condolences and heartfelt sympathies to the victims' families wishing for a speedy recovery of the injured.

"Iran is ready for any help," the statement concluded.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan declared three days of national mourning after one of the West African country's worst plane crash killed at least 193 people on Sunday.

The Nigerian leader has directed that the Nigerian flag be flown at half-mast for national mourning.

A Dana Air plane from Nigeria's capital city Abuja crashed in a residential area in the Lagos residential suburb of Agege, killing the 153 people on board and 40 others living inside a two-story building hit by the aircraft, according to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

Media reports said that the husband of Nigeria's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Viola Onwuliri was among the victims.