17 killed in plane crash in northeast Iran

TEHRAN, July 24 (Xinhua) -- At least 17 people were killed when a passenger plane caught fire during its landing in northeastern Iran on Friday, the state IRNA news agency reported.

Rescuers work near the plane wreckage at the international airport  in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad July 24, 2009. At least  17 people were killed and 19 injured when a passenger plane from  Iran's Aria Air airline with 153 passengers on board caught fire  during its landing here on Friday. (Xinhua/Stringer)

The plane from Iran's Aria Air airline with 153 passengers on board caught fire and skidded into walls near the runway during its landing in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad, said the report.

The accident, which happened at 18:10 local time (1340 GMT), also injured another 19 people, IRNA said.

Deputy Governor of Khorasan Razavi Province Qahreman Rashid was quoted as saying that Aria Air's managing director Mehdi Dadpay was among the victims of the plane incident.

All survivors in the plane had been evacuated from the crash scene and the fire had been completely under control, Rashid said.

The cause of the incident was under investigation, he added.