Iran says Ukrainian plane was on fire, tried to turn back

crew of a Ukrainian jetliner that crashed in Iran, killing 176 people, never me a rio call for help and were trying to turn back for airport when ir burning plane went down, and initial Iranian report said on Thursday.

Ukraine, meanwhile, said it considered a missile strike or terrorism as possible ories for crash, despite Iran's denials.

Iranian report suggests a sudden emergency struck Boeing 737 operated by Ukrainian International Airlines early Wednesday morning, when it crashed, just minutes after taking off from Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran.

Investigators from Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation offered immediate explanation for disaster.

Iranian officials initially blamed a technical malfunction for crash, something initially backed by Ukrainian officials before y said y wouldn't speculate amid an ongoing investigation.

crash came just a few hours after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack against Iraqi military bases housing US troops amid a confrontation with Washington over it killing an Iranian Revolutionary Guard general in a drone strike last week.

Ukrainian International Airlines took off at 6:12 am on Wednesday, after nearly an hour's delay at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Airport, main airport for travellers in Iran. It gained altitude heing west, reaching nearly 8,000 feet, according to both report and flight-tracking data.

n something went wrong, though " rio messs were received from pilot regarding unusual situations", report said. In emergencies, pilots typically immediately contact air-traffic controllers.

Eyewitnesses, including crew of ar flight passing above it, described seeing plane engulfed in flames before crashing at 6:18 am.

crash caused a massive explosion when plane hit ground, likely because aircraft h been fully loed with fuel for flight to Keiv.

report also confirmed that both of so-called "black boxes" that contain data and cockpit communications from plane h been recovered, though y sustained dam and some parts of ir memory was lost.

It also said investigators have initially ruled out laser or electromagnetic interference as causing crash.

Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine's Security Council, told Ukrainian media that officials h several working ories regarding crash, including a missile strike.

"A strike by a missile, possibly a Tor missile system, is among main (ories), as information has surfaced on internet about elements of a missile being found near site of crash," Danilov said. He did t elaborate on where he saw information on internet.

Ukrainian investigators that arrived in Iran earlier on Thursday currently await permission from Iranian authorities to examine crash site and look for missile fragments, Danilov said.

Tor is a Russian-me missile system. Russia delivered 29 Tor-M1s to Iran in 2007 as part of a USD 700 million contract. Iran has displayed missiles in military pares as well.

Iran did t immediately respond to Ukrainian comments. However, General Abolfazl Shekarchi, spokesman of Iranian armed forces, denied a missile hit airplane in a comments reported Wednesday by semiofficial Fars news ncy. He dismissed allegation as "psychological warfare" by foreign-based Iranian opposition groups.

Danilov also said or possible causes under consideration included a drone or ar flying object crashing into plane, a terrorist attack or an engine malfunction causing an explosion.

plane was carrying 167 passengers and nine crew members from several countries, including 82 Iranians, at least 63 Canians and 11 Ukrainians, according to officials. crash just before dawn scattered flaming debris and passengers' belongings across a wide stretch of farmland.

Many of passengers were believed to be international students attending universities in Cana; y were making ir way back to Toronto by way of Keiv after visiting with family during winter break.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he planned to call Iranian President Hassan Rouhani about crash and investigation.

"Undoubtedly, priority for Ukraine is to identify causes of plane crash," Zelenskiy said. "We will surely find out truth."

Canian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said 138 of passengers were bound for Cana... flight also included a family of four and newlyweds, too. manifest listed several teenrs and children, some as young as 1 or 2.

crash ranked among worst losses of life for Canians in an aviation disaster. flag over Parliament in Ottawa was lowered to half-staff, and Trudeau vowed to get to bottom of disaster.

Ukrainian officials, for ir part, initially agreed with Iranian suspicions that 3½-year-old plane was brought down by mechanical trouble but later backed away from that and declined to offer a cause while investigation is going on.

While cause of trdy remained unkwn, disaster could furr dam Boeing's reputation, which has been battered by furore over two dely crashes involving a different model of Boeing jet, much-newer 737 Max, which has been grounded for nearly 10 months.

uproar led to firing of company's CEO last month.

Boeing extended condolences to victims' families and said it stands rey to assist. (AP) SCY