Iranian rescuers carried on their backs the first seven lifeless bodies found in the mountain where the plane crashed on Sunday, according to official sources.
After more than two days of searching in the Zagros Mountains in southwestern Iran, rescuers on Tuesday found the wreckage of Aseman Airlines ATR 4.000, which was flying from Tehran to Yasouz, at an altitude of about 72 meters.
The plane took off from Tehran with 60 passengers and six crew members. There are no survivors.
The causes of the accident, which occurred during a blizzard, have not yet been determined. The plane's black box has not yet been located, officials said on state television.
Due to bad weather and limited visibility, it was not possible to send helicopters to the crash site, General Nozar Nemati explained. As a result, the bodies had to be carried by rescuers as a road from which they would drive to Yasuz, about 500 kilometers south of Tehran.
The bodies of 32 passengers have been found so far, while many more remain buried under the snow and ice, according to state media.
The crashed twin-engine ATR-72 was more than 24 years old. According to data cited by the Air Safety Foundation on its website, the plane had returned to service just three months ago and had been demobilized six years ago.