As mourners prepare for more candlelight vigils across Canada on Thursday to grieve the 176 victims of a plane crash on the outskirts of Tehran, more information is coming out on the Canadian victims. The Boeing 737-800 crashed barely two minutes after takeoff Wednesday morning from Tehran’s airport en route to Kyiv. The majority of the 176 people on board — 138, including 63 Canadians — were headed for Canada. On Thursday, Iran released an initial investigative report about the crash, saying the jetliner’s crew were trying to turn back for the airport when the burning plane went down, noting that they never made a radio call for help. Dozens of students and staff from Canadian schools coast to coast were among the victims. The Toronto District School Board confirmed Thursday that at least five of its students were killed in the crash. Read more: Iran says jet tried to turn back after takeoff, Ukraine probes many theories for what happened to Flight 752 What we know and don’t know about Ukraine International Airline Flight 752 Sophie Emami was in senior kindergarten at Lillian Public School. Arsam Niazi was in Grade 6 at Pleasant Public School and Arnica Niazi was in Grade 3 at Finch Public School. Rahmtin Ahmadi was a fourth grader at Muirhead Public School. Maya Zibaie was a Grade 10 student at Northern Secondary School. In London, Ont., the University of Western Ontario held a Wednesday night vigil for four graduate students who lost their lives in the plane crash: Ghazal Nourian, a PhD candidate in Mechanial and Materials Engineering, Milad Nahavandi, a PhD candidate in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Hadis Hayatdavoudi, a PhD candidate in Chemistry and Sajedeh Sareian, an incoming Masters student in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering. University president Alan Shepard called the deaths “devastating” to Western, Canada and the world. “It’s just hearbreaking and difficult to comprehend,” Shepard told the Western News. According to the university’s paper, all four were international students. London mayor Ed Holder was also in attendance. “My heart breaks for the families, friends, and loved ones of all those lost in this horrible tragedy . . . on behalf of all Londoners, our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with you,” he tweeted Wednesday. The Saint Mary’s University Students’ Association in Halifax expressed their condolences late Wednesday night for the loss of two students, Maryam Malek and Fatemeh Mahmoodi, who were studying for a master’s degree in finance. “We would like to express our thoughts to the families, friends, and colleagues,” the association wrote in a statement. “If you or anyone else you know have been impacted by this tragedy, we encourage you to reach out for support from the following services.” Vigils are scheduled for this evening in North York, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa and in Halifax. Meanwhile Iranian official investigative report says eyewitnesses, including the crew of another flight passing above it, described seeing the plane engulfed in flames before crashing. The crash caused a massive explosion when the plane hit the ground, likely because the aircraft had been fully loaded with fuel for the flight to Ukraine’s capital city. The report also says that both of the black boxes that contain data and cockpit communications from the plane have been recovered, though they sustained damage and some parts of their memory was lost. It also says that investigators have initially ruled out laser or electromagnetic interference as causing the crash. Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne has spoken to his Iranian counterpart about the deadly crash but there is no word on whether Canadian officials will be allowed to participate in the ensuing investigation. A summary of the phone call released Thursday morning by Global Affairs Canada says Champagne stressed to Mohammad Javad Zarif the need for Canadian officials to be allowed into Iran to provide consular services, help with identification of the deceased and to take part in the investigation. Canada severed diplomatic ties with Iran in 2012, when it labelled the country a state sponsor of terrorism. Champagne also told Zarif that Canada and Canadians have many questions about the crash, which killed 138 people who were en route to Canada, and condemned Iran’s missile attacks against military bases in Iraq. Canadian soldiers were present in one of those bases. Yet the summary did not provide any details about Zarif’s reaction to Champagne’s demands and Champagne’s office declined to provide any further information. Transport Minister Marc Garneau says Canada has offered to help with the probe, but it’s not clear whether Iran will take him up on the offer. Under rules set out by the International Civil Aviation Organization, the countries where the crash happened, where the plane is registered, where the plane’s operator is located, and where its manufacturer is based are all part of the investigation. In this case, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board of the Civil Aviation Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran is in charge, while Ukraine will assist. |