14 Presidents killed in air accidents since 1940

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash on May 19, along with nine others including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian. 

East Azarbaijan Province’s Governor Malek Rahmati, the head of Raisi’s guard team Mehdi Mousavi and Mohammad Ali Al-e-Hashem, the Supreme Leader’s representative in the East Azerbaijan province, were also onboard the helicopter.

The tragic accident happened when the 63-year-old politician was en route to launch a project after inaugurating a dam in Azerbaijan.

After the event, Raisi and his entourage departed in a convoy of three choppers to inaugurate another project.

However, Raisi's helicopter lost contact shortly after taking off.

"At around 1 pm, the president left Tabriz to inaugurate two projects, but the helicopter lost contact shortly after leaving," the head of the search and rescue teams, Mohsen Mansouri told the media.

"Three helicopters left Tabriz, but, half an hour later, two lost contact with the one carrying the president," he added.

According to Irani media, the helicopter carrying Raisi crashed on the border of Azerbaijan due to bad weather.

The accident marks the latest in a series of air accidents and incidents that have claimed the lives of at least 14 presidents of different countries since 1940.

Here's a list of the 14 presidents who have lost their lives in air accidents and incidents:

1. José Félix Estigarribia of Paraguay (September 7, 1940) - killed in a plane crash in the city of Altos.
2. Ramon Magsaysay of the Philippines (March 17, 1958) - died in a plane crash in Balamban, Cebu at the age of 49.
3. Nereu Ramos of Brazil (June 16, 1958) - died in a plane crash near the international airport in the state of Paraná at the age of 69.
4. Marshal Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco of Brazil (July 18, 1967) - died in a plane crash in Fortaleza, Brazil.
5. Abdul Salam Arif of Iraq (April 13, 1966) - died in a plane crash in the capital Baghdad at the age of 45.
6. Rene Barrentos of Bolivia (April 27, 1969) - died in a helicopter crash at the age of 49.
7. Jaime Roldós Aguilera of Ecuador (May 24, 1981) - died in a plane crash.
8. Samora Mitchell of Mozambique (October 19, 1986) - died in a plane crash near the border with South Africa.
9. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq of Pakistan (August 17, 1988) - died in a plane crash in Bahawalpur at the age of 64.
10. Juvénal Habyarimana of Rwanda (April 6, 1994) - died when his plane was shot down, an event considered the beginning of the genocide in the country.
11. Cyprien Ntaryamira of Burundi (April 6, 1994) - died in a plane crash near Kigali Airport.
12. Lech Kaczynski of Poland (April 10, 2010) - died in a plane crash near the airport in the Russian city of Smolensk, along with 95 others, including his wife and top Polish officials.
13. Sebastián Piñera of Chile (February 2010) - died in a helicopter crash into a lake, with four others on board, three of whom survived.
14. Syyed Ebrahim Raisi of Iran (May 19, 2024) - died in a helicopter crash on the border of Azerbaijan due to bad weather.