IRNA � The ATR Company, a French-Italian aircraft manufacturer, in a statement on Monday regretted loss of lives in the crash of an ATR 72-200 operated by Iran Aseman Airlines in central Iran on February 18.

At this time, the circumstances of the accident are unknown, the atraircraft.com said.

Meanwhile, Reza Jafarzadeh, head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization public relations office told the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) that a seven-member delegation from France is to arrive in Tehran tonight to examine the reason behind the crash of an ATR passenger plane that is feared to have claimed the lives of 66 people.

Members of the French delegation are to attend the meetings reviewing the plane crash incident after which all passengers and the crew on board were reportedly dead.

Three persons of the French delegation are members of a civil aviation incident investigations commission and the rest are the officials of the ATR company, Jafarzadeh said.

A Canadian company, which manufactured the ATR engines, has also expressed readiness to dispatch its experts to Iran if needed to review the case, the official added.