At least 17 dead in Iran plane crash

MASHHAD, Iran, July 24 (UPI) -- A Russian-made passenger plane operated by an Iranian airline crashed Friday during landing in Mashhad, Iran, killing at least 17 people.

The Aria Airlines flight from Tehran to Mashhad started burning immediately after touchdown, the Tehran Times reported.

The crash was the second fatal one in Iran in less than two weeks. On July 15, 168 people were killed when a Caspian Airlines flight from Iran to Erevan, Armenia, came down in the mountains in northwest Iran.

The Aria plane had about 160 people on board. At least 21 people were reported to be injured and 17 or more dead.

The plane was an Ilyushin IL-62 jet.

There were reports that a tire burst on the runway, the Times said. Shahid Hasheminejad Airport officials said no cause for the accident had been determined.

At least one of the plane's emergency chutes was deployed after the crash, Press TV said.