Ebrahim Raisi to Ramon Magsaysay: World leaders who died in air crashes

The loss of prominent world leaders in air crashes has often marked significant turning points in history

(From left) Ramon Magsaysay, General Zia-ul-Haq, Ebrahim Raisi, Sebastian Pinera, and Samora Machel.

On Monday, officials and state media announced that Ebrahim Raisi, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a hardliner considered a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, died in a helicopter crash near the Azerbaijan border. The charred wreckage of the helicopter, which crashed on May 19, Sunday, was discovered early Monday morning after an overnight search conducted in blizzard conditions.

The helicopter, a U.S.-made Bell 212, had slammed into a mountain peak, although the exact cause of the crash remains unknown. Among the victims were Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the governor of East Azerbaijan Province, and a senior imam from Tabriz city.

Related Stories

• Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi killed in helicopter crash

  

• Who is Iran's first Vice President, Mohammad Mokhber, appointed acting President after crash?

  

• Ebrahim Raisi | A hardline President who had the backing of Iran’s clerical establishment

  

• What happens in Iran when a President dies in office?

  

The loss of prominent world leaders in air crashes has often marked significant turning points in history, sending shockwaves through the political landscape and leaving nations in a state of uncertainty.

Here’s a list of similar incidents: