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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
Asharq Al-Awsat

Iran Virus Toll Rises Amid Delay in Analysis of Ukraine Jet Black Boxes

FILE PHOTO: Volunteers from Basij forces wearing protective suits and face masks spray disinfectant on the streets, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) fears, in Tehran, Iran April 3, 2020. WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Ali Khara via REUTERS

Iran's death toll from the new coronavirus has risen to 4,585, after 111 people died overnight, a health ministry official tweeted on Monday.

The total number of infected cases have reached 73,303 in the country, said the official.

"Fortunately 45,983 of those infected with the virus have recovered ... There were 1,617 new infected cases in the past 24 hours," tweeted Alireza Vahabzadeh, an adviser to Iran's health minister.

Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur told state TV that 3,877 of those infected with the new coronavirus were in critical condition.

Meanwhile, Ottawa and other countries asked Tehran to delay downloading data on the black boxes from a downed Ukrainian international flight, because of coronavirus travel restrictions, Canada said Sunday.

Iran had in March agreed to hand over black boxes from Flight 752 to Ukraine or France for analysis -- a move welcomed by Canada and Ukraine.

The boxes are expected to contain information about the last moments before the Ukraine International Airlines jetliner was struck by a missile and crashed shortly after taking off from the Tehran airport on January 8.

Last week, Iran contacted the countries involved to ask when they could send experts to help download the data off the black boxes, according to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB).

While stressing that the concerned countries are "anxious for the download and analysis of the recorders to proceed," TSB president Kathy Fox said that they all "provided a consistent response, indicating that travelling was impossible at this time, and likely for some time to come" due to restrictions imposed due to the pandemic.

The Iranian military had admitted that the plane was shot down due to "human error." Out of the 176 victims, 57 were Canadian citizens and 29 were permanent residents in Canada.

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