US wants independent probe into Ukrainian plane crash, says US official

Officials inspect pieces of a Boeing 737 plane belonging to Ukrainian International Airlines after it crashed in Iran on 10 January 2020 [AFP/Getty Images]

The United States wants a thorough and independent investigation into the crash of a Ukrainian passenger plane in Iran that killed 176 people, the State Department’s top diplomat for the Middle East said on Friday, Reuters reports.

“It is my understanding that we will certainly ask for an independent investigation into this, whether this is through our European partners, the Canadians being on the ground,” David Schenker told a news briefing in the United Arab Emirates.

“I have seen some rather disturbing reports that the accident area has already been contaminated or violated. I hope that is not the case.”

READ: Iran likely downed Ukraine airliner with missiles, Canada’s Trudeau says, citing intelligence

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