Authorities recover black boxes of crashed plane near Tehran airport

Iran authorities said on Wednesday that they recovered the flight recorders of Ukraine's Boeing 737 aircraft that crashed near Tehran international airport earlier in the day, according to the state media.

According to Iran's Press TV, all 176 people on board the flight to the Ukrainian capital of Kiev were killed when the plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Tehran's international airport.

The Boeing 737 jet, operated by Ukraine International Airlines, took off early Wednesday morning with 167 passengers and nine crew on board, the media reported, citing Ali Khash, a senior public relations official at Imam Khomeini Airport.

Earlier reports from the Iran state media had said that 180 people were on board Flight PS752.

Eighty-two Irans, 63 Canadians, and 11 Ukrainians died in the crash, according to a tweet from Ukrainian foreign minister Vadym Prystaiko.

There were also 10 Swedes, four Afghans, three Germans and three British nationals among the victims, he said.

The Ukrainian Embassy in Tehran replaced its previous statement saying terrorism or rocket attacks had been ruled out as causes of the plane crash.

"Information on the causes of the plane crash is being clarified by the commission," it said.

Iran's semi-official news agency ISNA previously reported the crash was due to technical troubles.

Iran's Civil Aviation Authority said it had launched an investigation.

A Boeing spokesperson told CNN they are "aware of the media reports out of Iran and gathering more information."

The crash takes place just days before the company's new CEO David Calhoun will formally take the job. Calhoun replaces Dennis Muilenburg, who was ousted in December after Boeing's disastrous year.

The American aviation giant is still reeling from the aftermath of two 737 Max crashes, which killed 346 people. The Max has been grounded worldwide since March, and the company has struggled with delays and other issues in its bid to get the planes back in the air.

( With inputs from ANI )