Rescuers work beside the bodies of victims at the air crash site of a Boeing 737 Ukrainian passenger plane in Parand district, southern Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 8, 2020. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua)
Among the 176 people killed in Ukrainian passenger plane crash in Iran's capital are 63 Canadians. Trudeau says his government will continue to work closely with its international partners to ensure thorough investigation.
OTTAWA, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday he was "shocked and saddened" to know that 63 Canadians were on board the Ukrainian passenger plane which crashed in Iran on Tuesday with no survivors.
Trudeau expressed his deep condolences to the victims' families in a statement on Wednesday morning. "Our government will continue to work closely with its international partners to ensure that this crash is thoroughly investigated."
The Ukraine International Airlines plane crashed just minutes after taking off from Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport. All 176 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 737-800 aircraft were killed.
Most of the 63 Canadians are believed to be Iranian-Canadian students returning to school after the holidays. Flying Ukrainian International Airlines, via the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, is one of the cheapest routes from Tehran to Toronto, according to CTV.
Trudeau said Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne has been in touch with the Ukrainian government and is speaking to other international partners.
Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau is also working with their international counterparts to seek answers on this crash, Trudeau added in the statement. ■
