Following the helicopter crash, thousands grieve for Iran’s Raisi in a march in Tabriz.

The Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has declared five days of public mourning, and today is the second of those days

Iranians have congregated in Tabriz, the provincial capital of East Azerbaijan, to grieve during President Ebrahim Raisi’s farewell procession. Raisi passed away on Sunday in a helicopter crash.

Six additional individuals in the chopper, including crew members, as well as Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian perished in the collision.

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Tens of thousands of mourners descended upon the northwest city on Tuesday, carrying photographs of the late president and Iranian flags, and gathering in the major square. Raisi was on his way there when his chopper crashed.

Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar said on Tuesday from Tehran, the country’s capital, that funeral rites for Iranian state leaders take place over “an extended period of time in several locations.”

The bodies of Raisi, 63, and Amirabdollahian, 60, will be transported to Tehran for a different ceremony following the parade in Tabriz.

Prior to that, Serdar stated that the bodies would be transferred to the capital later on Tuesday after being held at Qom, a highly significant religious city in central Iran, for another ceremony.

A larger celebration is scheduled for Wednesday in Tehran, when foreign dignitaries are expected to attend and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is due to conduct the prayers.

Then, Raisi’s body will be sent to his birthplace and upbringing, Mashhad, the second-biggest city in the nation, which is situated in the northeast.

Raisi will be given a “glorious” funeral in the holy city on Thursday, according to organizers in Mashhad.

Continuing investigation

Reporting on the ongoing inquiry into the crash’s cause, Serdar stated that the focus of the investigation is on the severe weather at the time, difficult terrain, and potential technical problems. As of right now, there has been no indication that the incident was the result of sabotage.

It has been questioned if Raisi and the other passengers should have been flying in a Bell 212 with two blades that is thought to be decades old.

It has been challenging for Iran to get new or replacement aircraft due to international sanctions imposed on the nation after the revolution of 1979, as well as restrictions related to its nuclear program and support of the so-called “axis of resistance.”

According to Serdar, there have also been inquiries as to why the plane was permitted to take off in unfavorable weather, which included a dense fog layer.