Experts have warned that a potential 'catastrophic' event may have caused a plane to crash in Iran, killing all 176 passengers and crew on board.
Officials from Iran and Ukraine quickly downplayed fears the crash - which killed everyone on board - was connected to the tensions in the region.
The country's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, said a team of experts had been sent to Iran to "establish the truth" about the deadly incident. The plane, fully loaded with fuel for its 2300-kilometre flight, climbed to just short of 8,000 feet before it lost all communication with ground control. Qantas and other major international airlines have been forced to re-route some flights to Europe as an emergency measure to avoid airspace around Iran following the overnight attack on Iraqi bases.
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