Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, whose death in a helicopter crash was announced on Monday, joins the list of major political leaders who have perished in aviation accidents. Here are some of the most notable:
2024: Former Chilean President Sebastián Piñera
On February 6, 2024, former Chilean President Sebastián Piñera (in office from 2010-2014 and 2018-2022) died in a helicopter crash at Lago Ranco, a vacation site 920 kilometers (570 miles) south of Santiago.
2010: Poland’s President Lech Kaczyński
On April 10, 2010, a Tupolev 154 carrying 96 people, including Polish President Lech Kaczyński and senior political and military figures, crashed while attempting to land in thick fog near Smolensk in western Russia. There were no survivors. The crash was attributed to bad weather and errors by Polish pilots and Russian air traffic controllers.
2005: Rebel Leader Turned Sudanese Vice-President John Garang
On July 30, 2005, John Garang, the former separatist rebel leader who became vice-president of Sudan, died when his helicopter crashed in Sudan on a return flight from Uganda.
2004: Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski
Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski was killed along with eight others when his plane crashed on February 26, 2004, while preparing to land in thick fog in the southern Bosnian town of Mostar.
1994: Presidents Juvénal Habyarimana of Rwanda and Cyprien Ntaryamira of Burundi
On April 6, 1994, a Falcon 50 transporting Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana and his Burundian counterpart Cyprien Ntaryamira was shot down over Kigali by at least one missile. The attack is considered the spark that triggered the genocide of Tutsis, resulting in at least 800,000 deaths, according to the United Nations.
1988: Pakistani President Zia ul-Haq
On August 17, 1988, Pakistani President Zia ul-Haq was among the victims of a plane crash near Bahawalpur in eastern Pakistan.
1986: Mozambican President Samora Machel
On October 19, 1986, Mozambique’s first president, Samora Machel, died when his Tupolev 134 crashed in northeastern South Africa.
1961: UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld
On September 17 or 18, 1961, a plane carrying UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld crashed in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) while he was attempting to negotiate a ceasefire between warring factions in the former Belgian Congo. The cause of the crash remains unknown.
