A video has emerged online purportedly showing the moment a Ukrainian airliner carrying 176 passengers was hit by a missile before crashing at Iran’s airport in Tehran.
None of the 176 passengers and crew on board the Boeing 737 of Ukraine International Airlines, which was on its way to Kyiv, Ukraine, survived.
In a fresh development, the New York Times and CNN disclosed that they were sent the video of the missile hitting the plane by internet-freedom researcher Nariman Gharib, who said he obtained it from another individual.
The New York Times said the video shows an explosion in the sky over Parand, near Tehran, the suburb where the Ukrainian airliner first stopped transmitting its signal.
The plane continues to fly for several minutes before turning back towards the airport before exploding the crashing.
Bellinggcat, an independent international collective of researchers and citizen journalists, using geolocation technology and other techniques, established the video was taken in Parand.
Bellingcat said it was possible that two missiles were fired, prompting the person filming to start recording.
The Iranian government has however denied that the plane was hit by a missile.
“All these reports are a psychological warfare against Iran … all those countries whose citizens were aboard the plane can send representatives and we urge Boeing to send its representative to join the process of investigating the black box,” Iranian state TV quoted government spokesman, Ali Rabiei who said this in a statement.
