(AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says a total of 138 passengers
aboard the plane that crashed outside Tehran were connecting to Canada.
The Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800, bound for
Kyiv, crashed shortly after taking off from the Iranian capital, killing all
176 people on board.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said the plane
was carrying 63 Canadians, 82 Iranians, 11 Ukrainian passengers and crew, 10
Swedes, four Afghans, three Germans and three Britons.
Trudeau says there were 138 empty seats on a plane that
landed in Toronto Wednesday afternoon. They were supposed to be filled by
people aboard the downed flight who were set to connect in Kyiv.
Trudeau says it is too early to speculate, but he knows
Canadians have questions about how the crash happened and that they deserve
answers.
He says Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne
will be speaking with the Iranian foreign minister and conveying the need for a
thorough investigation into the crash.
Trudeau says he also spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump
along with other allies earlier today, who all offered their sympathies and
support.
Transport Minister Marc Garneau says it’s too early to say
what caused a plane to crash in Iran but he says it’s clear that something
“very unusual” happened.
He says the pilot lost communication with controllers shortly
after a normal takeoff.
He’s urging against speculation until an investigation
reveals more.
The Transportation Safety Board said it appointed an expert
to monitor the progress of the Iranian investigation.
