The Home Ministry has announced that a national mourning will be observed across India on May 21 and the national flag will be flown at half-mast on all buildings where it is regularly flown across the country.
The Central government Monday announced that one-day state mourning will be observed across India on Tuesday (May 21) as a mark of respect for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi who was killed in a helicopter crash, along with the Iran’s foreign minister and other officials on early Monday morning.
In a statement, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs announced that a national mourning will be observed across the country on May 21 and the national flag will be flown at half-mast on all buildings where it is regularly flown across India.
Additionally, there will be no official entertainment during the period of state mourning, the MHA declared.
India is among the five countries which have declared state mourning over the Iranian president’s demise. Those include Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and India’s neighbouring Pakistan.
A home ministry spokesperson said Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the country’s foreign minister, passed away in a helicopter crash.
“As a mark of respect to the departed dignitaries, the government of India has decided that there will be one day’s state mourning on May 21 (Tuesday) throughout India,” the spokesperson said.
“On the day of mourning, the national flag will be flown at half-mast throughout India on all buildings where the national flag is flown regularly and there will be no official entertainment on the day,” the official added.
Iran President Ebrahim Raisi, its Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and other officials were found dead on Monday, hours after their helicopter crashed in a foggy, mountainous region of the country’s northwest, Iran state media reported.
(With inputs from agencies)