In a recent event, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was involved in a helicopter crash, prompting a reflection on similar incidents involving heads of state or government throughout history. Here’s a recap of notable crashes compiled by Anadolu News Agency:
- In 1936, Swedish Prime Minister Arvid Lindman perished in a plane crash near Croydon Airport in dense fog.
- Paraguayan President Marshal Jose Felix Estigarribia died in a plane crash in 1940.
- Polish statesman Wladyslaw Sikorski lost his life in Gibraltar in 1943.
- Brazil’s Interim President Nereu Ramos died in a plane crash in 1958.
- Central African Republic President Barthelemy Boganda passed away in 1959 after a plane crash.
- UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold died in 1961 during a peace mediation mission in Zambia.
- Iraqi President Abdul Salam Arif died in a helicopter crash in 1966.
- Bolivian President Rene Barrientos perished in a 1969 helicopter crash.
- Yugoslavian Prime Minister Dzemal Bijedic died in a plane crash in 1977.
- Mauritanian Prime Minister Ahmed Ould Bouceif died in a plane crash off the coast of Dakar in 1979.
- Portuguese Prime Minister Francisco Sa Carneiro died in a plane crash in 1980.
- Ecuadorian President Jaime Roldos Aguilera died in a plane crash near the Peruvian border in 1981.
- Panamanian President Omar Torrijos died in a plane crash in 1981.
- Mozambican President Samora Machel died in a plane crash near the Mozambique-South African border in 1986.
- Lebanese Prime Minister Rashid Karami was killed by a bomb in a helicopter in 1987.
- Pakistani President Zia-ul-Haq died in a military aircraft crash in 1988.
- Burundi’s President Cyprien Ntaryamira and Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana were killed in a plane crash in 1994.
- Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski died in a plane crash in 2004.
- Poland’s President Lech Kaczynski died in a plane crash in 2010.
On the other hand, there were miraculous survivals:
- Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai narrowly avoided death in a plane bombing in 1955.
- Turkish Prime Minister Adnan Menderes survived a crash in 1959.
- King Hussein bin Talal of Jordan survived a helicopter crash in 1977.
- In 1994, Prince Charles of England had a narrow escape when his plane crashed due to strong winds.
