YEREVAN, July 15 (RIA Novosti) - The fatal crash of an airliner in Iran on Wednesday is believed to have been caused by a fire in one of the engines, Armenian state television reported.
The report did not give a source for the information.
Meanwhile, Iran's English-language Press TV said that the aircraft attempted an emergency landing due to a technical malfunction, but the plane burst into flames and crashed.
TV pictures of the crash site showed scorched earth, scattered fragments of plane and a few charred pieces of clothing and personal belongings. Emergency services said the plane was completely destroyed and there was no hope for survivors.
The Russian-made Tupolev airliner was en route from Tehran to the Armenian capital, Yerevan, when it crashed on a farm near the city of Qazvin, 16 minutes after takeoff from the Imam Khomeini International Airport.
Iranian state TV channels quoted a spokesman for the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization as saying 153 passengers and 15 crewmembers were on board the Tu-154 owned by Caspian Airlines.
A spokesman for the Caspian Airlines in Iran said, however, that there were 154 passengers, including two children, and 16 crewmembers on board.
The state IRNA news agency said the plane had taken off at 11:33 local time (07:03 GMT).
