An Iranian passenger jet crashed yesterday in the mountains of western Iran amid snow and rain, and all 118 passengers and crew on board were believed dead, an official said.

Residents reported hearing an explosion and seeing the sky lit up red as the Russian-made Tu-154 went down in the Sefid Kouh mountains outside Khorramabad.

Rescue workers were delayed by snow and heavy fog before finally reaching the crash site. Reza Niknam, an adviser to the governor-general of Lorestan province, said he saw many remains on the mountainside and believes nobody could have survived.

"All the passengers and crew members died in the crash," he said.

Hamid Fouladvand, another official who managed to reach the crash site, described the grim scene.

"I saw dozens of bodies scattered deep in the valley. I also saw pieces of the plane. Wolves and bears were in the area and if the bodies aren't collected soon, they will be eaten," Fouladvand said.

The cause of the crash of the Iran Air Tours flight from Tehran to Khorramabad, about 230 miles to the southwest, wasn't known, though it had been raining and snowing in the mountains at the time of the crash.

The plane lost contact with the control tower at Khorramabad airport moments before it crashed at 7:55 a.m., 15 miles west of Khorramabad, state-run Iranian television said.

Government spokesman Abdullah Ramezanzadeh told the official Islamic Republic News Agency that 105 passengers and 13 crew members were aboard the Tupolev.

"I heard a huge, really horrifying sound of an explosion," said Ardeshir Ghiyasvand of Key-Mirzavand, the closest village to the crash site. "Moments later, I saw that the clouds and fog over the mountains suddenly became red, everything turned from white to red."

He said it had been raining and snowing over the mountains at the time, and visibility had been minimal because of dense fog.

The Boston Globe, a former reporter, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and a former administrator were ordered yesterday to pay $4.2 million to a doctor who said she was libeled by a story about the death of a Globe health columnist.

Dr. Lois Ayash claimed in her libel and defamation lawsuit that she had been scapegoated for the death of Betsy Lehman, who died of an overdose of experimental cancer drugs.

Ayash alleged she was libeled by a 1995 Globe story that said she had countersigned an erroneous medical order that resulted in Lehman's death. The article described her as "leader of the team" of doctors at Dana-Farber responsible for Lehman's care.

The Globe published a correction saying Ayash had not countersigned the order, but it stood by its claim that she was the head of the treatment team that was using the experimental chemotherapy regimen.

A judge last year issued a default judgment in favor of Ayash after the Globe and reporter Richard Knox refused to reveal confidential sources. So the only question for the jury with regard to the Globe and the reporter was how much they would have to pay in damages.

The Circuit Court jury, after deliberating into a third day, agreed with most of Ayash's claims and assessed penalties against all four defendants, who also included the former chief of staff, David M. Livingston.

"Dana Farber disagrees with the jury's decision in this case and we will review our legal options," Dana-Farber spokesman Steven R. Singer said.

The Globe did not immediately return a call for comment.

Taser International, which produces stun guns that have drawn the interest of several airlines, reported net income of $432,000 for the fourth quarter of 2001.

The earnings compared to losses totaling $241,000 for the fourth quarter of 2000.

The Scottsdale-based company also reported record revenue of $2.8 million for the quarter that ended Dec. 31, a 167 percent increase over $1.1 million in revenue for the fourth quarter of 2000.

For 2001, Taser reported nearly $6.9 million in revenue, up from $3.4 million in 2000. Its net income was $515,000 for the year, compared to a $473,000 loss in the previous year.

Most of the increase in sales can be attributed to law enforcement agencies adding stun guns, said company spokesman Phil Smith.

Many airlines have also been expressing interest in equipping their planes with stun guns since Sept. 11, Smith said.