Ali Khashani, a senior public relations official at Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport, said the Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 went down in the vicinity of Parand, a city in Robat Karim county, reports Press TV.

He said the crash was likely due to technical difficulties, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

Rescue teams have been sent to the crash site, said Reza Jafarzadeh, a spokesman for Iran's Civil Aviation Organization, adding that the number of people onboard was 170 and not 180 as previously reported.

Pirhossein Koulivand, head of Iran's emergency services, added that "the plane is on fire but we have sent crews... And we may be able to save some passengers."

Flight radar information showed that the plane abruptly disappeared just after 6 a.m.

No further information was immediately available.