UBC students hold vigil for Iran plane crash victims

VANCOUVER -- The Karvan Student Association at the University of British Columbia held a Candlelight vigil Friday in memory of those who died in the Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752 tragedy in Iran.

Mourners gathered at Martha Piper Plaza on University Boulevard, before heading to the main atrium of the Student Nest building at 6 p.m.

“We are gathering to commemorate the loved ones who lost their lives,” the group said on its Facebook page.

The university lowered flags on its Vancouver and Okanagan campuses Friday in memory of those who died in the crash.

The school said four of the victims had ties to the UBC community: Dr. Mehran Abtahi, who joined UBC in October of last year as a postdoctoral research fellow in the department of civil engineering, siblings Zeynab Asadi Lari and Mohammadhossein Asadi Lari, as well as Niloofar Razzaghi, who graduated in November 2018.

“They were some of the brightest, smartest, most beautiful souls,” said student Atefeh Samani.  

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  The Karvan Student Association at the University of British Columbia held a Candlelight vigil Friday in memory of those who died in the Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752 tragedy in Iran. (CTV)