Fifteen hours after the disappearance of the Bell 212 helicopter in Iran, rescue teams reached the bodies at dawn on Monday and nine bodies were reportedly recovered.

Rescuers were able to reach the scene in the mountainous region of eastern Azerbaijan at dawn on Monday.

State television Irib reported that rescuers faced great difficulties in locating the aircraft, which "crashed into a mountain and disintegrated".

The crash is believed to have occurred between 13.30 and 14.00 hours on Sunday after President Ebrahim Raisi had left for Tabriz, the largest city in the north-west.

A Red Crescent official in charge of the search said that dozens of rescuers, soldiers and volunteers braved "difficult weather conditions, with fog and rain and severely reduced visibility" throughout the night.

Shortly after rescuers located the crash site, they found "no trace" of human life.

Crews recovered nine bodies: The 63-year-old president, foreign minister Hossein Amir Abdullahiyan, the provincial governor, an imam, two presidential security guards and three crew members.

An official told the Tasnim news agency that the bodies had been identified without DNA testing "despite being burnt".

The bodies have been transferred to Tabriz and funeral ceremonies will begin on Tuesday and continue the following day in the capital Tehran. President Raisi's body will be buried on Thursday in the holy city of Mashad (east), his birthplace.