World leaders who died in plane crashes
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain near the Azerbaijan border today
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, a hardliner long seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain near the Azerbaijan border, officials and state media said.
The charred wreckage of the helicopter which crashed on Sunday carrying Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian was found early today (20 May) after an overnight search in blizzard conditions.
There have been past incidents of world leaders dying in plane crashes. Here is a list of the top leaders who died in plane crashes.
Ex president of Chile Sebastian Pinera (2024)
Chilean ex-President Sebastian Pinera died in a helicopter crash on 6 February.
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The helicopter carrying Pinera, 74, and three others plunged into a lake in southern Chile. The former president was pronounced dead shortly after rescue personnel arrived at the scene. The other three passengers survived.
A divisive figure, the billionaire conservative was president from 2010 to 2014 and from 2018 to 2022, during times of strong economic growth.
But both of his presidencies were marred by frequent protests, first by students demanding education reform and then by wider, often violent protests against inequality in his second term, which ended with the government promising to draft a new constitution.
Poland's president Lech Kaczynski (2010)
Lech Kaczynski, the president of Poland, died in a plane crash in Russia on 10 April 2010.
His wife and 96 others were also killed when their plane crashed in a failed landing at Smolensk airport, Russia, amid thick fog.
Indian politician Madhavrao Scindia (2001)
Madhavrao Scindia, a prominent Indian politician and member of the Congress, died in a plane crash on 30 September 2001. The crash occurred near Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh when his private Beechcraft King Air C90 caught fire mid-air.
Pakistan's President Muhammad Ziaulhaq (1988)
Pakistan's President and Army Chief General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq was killed in a plane crash near Bahawalpur, 531 kilometres (330 miles) south of Islamabad, on 17 August 1988.
The crash also killed US Ambassador Arnold Lewis Raphel and several top Pakistani military officials.
Now, 32 years later, Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq, former Pakistani federal minister and son of Zia-ul-Haq, claims to have gathered evidence that the plane was brought down by nerve gas sprayed in the cockpit, which incapacitated the pilots, reports Anadolu Ajansi.
He also asserts that there were explosives hidden in the mango crates and that a projectile had hit the plane.
Lebanon PM Rashid Karami (1987)
Lebanon's Prime Minister Rashid Karami, who had been elected prime minister for a record eight times, was assassinated on 1 June 1987 when a bomb exploded in the military helicopter he was travelling in.
Interior Minister Abdullah al-Rasi and at least three of a dozen other aides and crew members aboard the helicopter were reported wounded.
Leading Lebanon during a demographic shift that saw Muslims become the majority in a previously Christian-dominated country, Karami advocated for greater Muslim representation in the government.
He championed Pan-Arab and Palestinian causes and played a major role during the Lebanese Civil War, after which he was appointed Prime Minister again in 1984.
Sanjay Gandhi, son of former Indian PM Indira Gandhi (1980)
Sanjay Gandhi, son of former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi, died in a plane crash near Willingdon Crescent on 23 June 1980.
Capt Subhash Saxena, a former chief instructor of the Delhi Flying Club who accompanied Gandhi in the two-seater red Pitts-also, died in the crash.
The plane struck a tree before crashing down by the side of some barracks behind the NDMC housing complex, Palika Vihar, in Willingdon Crescent. Incidentally, Mr Gandhi's house, 12 Willingdon Crescent, was not far from the accident site.
Philippines' President Magsaysay (1957)
Philippines' President Ramon Magsaysay died in the crash of the presidential plane Cebu Douglas C-47 on 17 March 1957.
One of his greatest achievements was the fight against the Huk Rebellion, which threatened peace and stability in the country. Through his leadership and strategic tactics, he was able to quell the rebellion and restore order in the country.
