Analysis of a black box from inside a downed Ukrainian passenger plane has revealed the jet was hit by two missiles 25 seconds apart, Iran said today.
Tehran claims it accidentally struck down the passenger plane during a time of extreme tensions with the US in January, killing all 176 passengers on board.
The head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation Touraj Dehghani Zanganeh today said a second missile hit the aircraft 25 seconds after the first, but only 19 seconds of this gap was recorded due to damage from the initial hit.
He added voices heard inside the cockpit after the first missile hit 'indicated that the passengers were alive' at that time.
The announcement marks the first official report on the plane's cockpit voice and data recordings since they were sent to France for analysis in July.
Iran claims it accidentally struck down the passenger plane amid a time of extreme tensions with the US in January, killing all 176 passengers on board. Pictured: The wreckage
'Nineteen seconds after the first missile hit the plane, the voices of pilots inside the cockpit indicated that the passengers were alive ... 25 seconds later the second missile hit the plane,' Mr Zanganeh said.
'Therefore, no analysis of the performance and effects of the second missile was obtained from the aircraft's black box.'
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps shot down the Ukraine International Airlines flight with ground-to-air missiles on January 8 moments after the plane took off from Tehran.
The nation later acknowledged the move was a 'disastrous mistake' by forces who were on high alert amid growing tensions with the US.
The head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation Touraj Dehghani Zanganeh ha sclaimed a second missile hit the aircraft 25 seconds after the first
He added voices heard inside the cockpit after the first missile hit 'indicated that the passengers were alive' at that time
Iran has been in talks with the Ukraine, Canada and other nations who had citizens aboard the plane, who have demanded a thorough investigation into the incident.
Iranian and Ukrainian officials have also held talks regarding compensation to the families of the victims. Another round of discussions is set for October.
An investigation into the incident is being carried out under United Nations aviation rules calling for probes aimed solely at preventing future accidents, separately from any judicial process.
The probe has been swept up in regional and domestic tensions.
'The data analysis from the black boxes should not be politicised,' Mr Zanganeh said.
More than 20 people have been jailed in Iran for participating in peaceful protests against the downing of the plane.
Some Iranians took to Twitter today to express their anger at the announcement, with one user tweeting: 'They were alive for 19 seconds ... a tragedy'.
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