India declares state mourning on May 21 following death of Iran President Ebrahim Raisi
PTC News Desk: In observance of Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who perished in a helicopter crash, the Indian government announced a day of state mourning on Tuesday.
The national flag will be flown at half-mast on all buildings where it is normally displayed during this time of mourning. Throughout the day, there won't be any formal entertainment.
The 63-year-old Raisi's helicopter crashed in northwest Iran on Sunday while he and his group were traveling to the city of Tabriz in northwest Iran after returning from a visit to a hamlet on the border between Azerbaijan and Iran. On Monday, the location of the helicopter accident revealed the bodies of Raisi, Abdollahian, and several other officials who were on board.
Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Hossein Amit-Abdollahian, the foreign minister, died in a helicopter crash, according to a spokesman for the home ministry.
"As a mark of respect to the departed dignitaries, the government of India has decided that there will be one day's state mourning on May 21 (Tuesday) throughout India," a spokeswoman said.
"On the day of mourning, the national flag will be flown at half-mast throughout India on all buildings where the national flag is flown regularly and there will be no official entertainment on the day," said the official.
The unfortunate death of Raisi stunned and saddened Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who also stated that "India stands with Iran in this time of sorrow."
S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, also expressed astonishment at Raisi's and his Iranian counterpart's deaths.
On X, Jaishankar expressed his dismay at learning of the deaths of Iran's President Dr. Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister H. Amir-Abdollahian in a helicopter crash.
Remember the numerous times I met with them, the last one being in January 2024. We send our sympathies to their families. "We are standing by the Iranian people during this tragic time," he declared.
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- With inputs from agencies
