EDITOR’S NOTE: On Jan. 10, the Canadian government updated the number of Canadians killed in the Jan. 8 Ukraine International Airlines crash in Iran from 63 to 57.
A candlelight vigil will be held Thursday evening on Parliament Hill to remember the Canadian victims of the plane crash in Iran, among whom were several Ottawa students.
A Facebook group set up for the event says Ottawa’s Iranian community is hosting the vigil, which is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
At least 63 Canadians, and others who may have lived in Canada for work or school, died when a Ukrainian passenger jet crashed shortly after takeoff from Tehran on Jan. 8, killing all 176 people aboard.
On Wednesday, Carleton University confirmed that two people in the school’s community had died in the crash: Fareed Arasteh, a PhD student in biology, and biology alumnus Mansour Pourjam.
The University of Ottawa confirmed three of its students were among the victims, but did not release their names.
Global News has also confirmed that Ottawa tech CEO Alireza Pey died in the crash.
To honour the victims of the plane crash, flags have been lowered to half-mast on Parliament Hill and at the City of Ottawa, Carleton University and the Ukranian Embassy in Ottawa.
The embassy is also inviting people to sign a book of condolences from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 310 Somerset St. W.
-With files from Global News and The Canadian Press