A one-day state mourning will be observed across India on Tuesday as a mark of respect for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash. The national flag will remain at half-mast on all buildings throughout India where it is regularly flown and there will be no official entertainment programs during the period of state mourning.GOI announces one-day mourningPresident Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister and others were killed when a helicopter crashed amid bad weather in the mountainous region of northwest Iran. An Interior Ministry spokesman said Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian died in the helicopter crash. The spokesperson said, as a mark of respect to the deceased dignitaries, the Government of India has decided that there will be one day state mourning across India on May 21. He said, on the day of mourning, the national flag will be flown at half mast on all buildings across India where the national flag is regularly flown and there will be no official entertainment program on that day.Found dead at the crash siteIt is noteworthy that President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister and other people were found dead at the crash site in a helicopter crash that occurred due to bad weather in the mountainous region located in the north-west of Iran. Raisi was traveling in Irans East Azerbaijan province at the time of the accident. Among those whose bodies were found along with Raisi in the accident, Irans Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian (60) is also included. According to the news of government news agency IRNA, Irans Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian, Governor of Irans East Azerbaijan province and other officials and bodyguards were also traveling with Raisi. Hours after the death of President Ibrahim Raisi, First Vice President Mohammad Mokhbar was appointed acting President of the country.Presidency from 2021Raisi had won the presidential election in 2021. During that time, the turnout was the lowest ever in the history of Iran. The US had imposed sanctions on Raisi for his involvement in the mass execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988 at the end of the Iran-Iraq war. Raisi is the second President to die while in office. Earlier in 1981, President Mohammad Ali Rajai had died in a bomb blast.
