Consular officials deployed to several Canadian cities to help plane crash victims' families

Representatives of the federal government are being sent to several cities across the country to act as points of contact for families of the victims killed in the Ukrainian plane crash in Iran.

Global Affairs Canada tweeted Monday that consular officials are on the ground in Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. Those staff will act as a “personal point of support for family members,” the agency said.

Canada has deployed consular officials to #Vancouver, #Ottawa, #Edmonton, #Winnipeg, #Montreal and #Toronto to act as a personal point of support for family members of Canadian victims of Flight #PS752. pic.twitter.com/rMS5AKy0aH

— Foreign Policy CAN (@CanadaFP) January 13, 2020

There’s also a dedicated webpage for families around the world to find more information about Canada’s response.

• See also:
  • Iran confirms it shot down Ukrainian plane in error
  • “All Canadians are mourning your loss:” Trudeau speaks at Iran plane crash memorial
  • TSB confirms Iran will allow Canada to download Ukrainian plane’s black boxes

All 157 people aboard Ukraine International Airlines flight 752 died when the plane was shot down by an Iranian missile after takeoff in Tehran January 8. The majority of the passengers, 138 of them, were bound for Canada.

Iran admitted one of its missiles downed the plane, although officials say it was an accident.

Canadian investigators are on their way to Tehran, where they will be allowed to download data from the plane’s black boxes, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada says.

Mourners gathered to remember the Canadian victims at vigils across the country this weekend, and Justin Trudeau spoke at one memorial at the University of Alberta.