MONTREAL -- Dozens of people with ties to Canada were among the 176 who were killed when Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 crashed after takeoff near Tehran, Iran.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that intelligence from multiple sources indicates that an Iranian missile downed the flight, though it might have been unintentional.
The Canadian Press published a list of some of the at least 10 Quebecers media sources are reporting perished aboard the flight.
Shahab Raana
Montrealer Shahab Raana left behind a successful career in Iran to come to Canada for a better future, his close friend Hamidreza Zanedi said.
Zanedi, who first met Raana about 15 years ago in Iran, said his friend posted a selfie from the plane on an Iranian messaging app just before takeoff. He said his friends in Iran have also been in touch with Raana's family members, who are in a "state of shock and sorrow."
Zanedi said Raana had a good job in Iran as a quality control manager, and was taking courses in Montreal to improve his language skills and gain Canadian work experience.
He'd booked a trip back to Iran without telling his family because he wanted to surprise them, Zanedi said.
"I can't even imagine his face without a smile on it," he said.
Arvin Morattab and Aida Farzaneh
Montreal's Ecole de Technologie Superieure confirmed a married couple, Arvin Morattab and Aida Farzaneh, were among the dead.
Both had studied for PhDs at the school, and Farzaneh was lecturing in construction engineering.
"All the ETS community offers its most sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of Ms. Farzanah and Mr. Morattab, as well as to their teachers and colleagues," the school wrote in a statement.
The school said their deaths were confirmed by Canada's consular emergency assistance centre.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 11, 2020.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
