TEHRAN: All 66 passengers and crew were killed when an Iranian plane crashed into the country’s Zagros mountains on Sunday, an airline spokesperson told state television.

“After searches in the area, unfortunately we were informed that the plane crashed. Unfortunately, all our dear ones lost their lives in this incident,” Mohammad Tabatabai, public relations director for Aseman Airlines, told state broadcaster IRIB.

The plane was reportedly travelling from Tehran to the small town of Yasuj in Isfahan province.

“The plane has crashed in the Semirom area and all emergency forces are on alert. The plane had 50 to 60 passengers,” Pir Hossein Koolivand told the Fars news agency.

Semirom lies in the mountainous southwestern region of Iran, around 480 kilo metres south of the capital.

“An ATR aircraft of Aseman Airlines with 60 passengers and about six crew disappeared from radar this morning,” Aladin Borujerdi, head of parliament’s national security and foreign policy commission, told the semi-official ISNA news agency.

“Observation by people [in the area] indicates a crash,” he said, adding that he was still awaiting confirmation.

Mojtaba Khaledi, spokesperson for the national emergency services, told the semi-official ISNA news agency that a helicopter had been sent to the area. “Given the fact that the area is mountainous, it is not possible to send ambulances,” he said.