SHAHEDSHAHR, Iran (NBC) – Officials in Iran say they suspect mechanical issues caused the plane crash Wednesday that killed all 176 people on board.
The Ukrainian International Airlines Boeing 737-800 went down shortly after takeoff from Tehran. It was headed to Kiev.
The dead included people from Iran, Canada, Ukraine and other countries. There were no reports of Americans on board.
The plane went down in farmland southwest of Tehran and burst into flames.
Pieces of debris were scattered across the site.
Workers carried out the grim work of collecting remains, lining up body bags on a roadside.
The crash happened hours after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on Iraqi bases housing U.S. soldiers.
Ukrainian officials initially agreed with Iran that the crash was due to mechanical issues but later backed away and declined to offer a cause.
The jet was manufactured 3.5 years ago.
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