MASHHAD, Iran, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Friday's fiery crash of a Russian-made Tupolev 154 airliner in Iran left 29 people dead, but 148 passengers survived the crash at the airport in Mashhad.
While Iranian state television originally reported that Friday's crash had left 80 dead, 29 bodies were ultimately recovered by officials leaving 148 survivors, most who survived unhurt, the Times of London reported Saturday.
The airliner had been traveling from the southern port city of Bandar Abbas when it burst into flames while landing in Mashhad. The pilot had not requested an emergency landing prior to the crash, but officials said they would soon gain a better understanding of the crash's circumstances from the flight crew.
Two weeks ago, another Tupolev 154 crashed in the Ukraine killing all 170 people on board the flight.
Most of the passengers on Friday's flight were believed to be Muslims making their annual pilgrimage to the tomb of Imam Reza, the eighth Shia imam, which is located in Mashhad, the newspaper said.
