TORONTO, Jan 9 (NNN-XINHUA) — The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has pledged to assist the probe into the crash of a Ukrainian airliner which killed all 176 people on board, Xinhua news agency reported, quoting a statement issued by the world aviation body.
“ICAO is in contact with the States involved and will assist them if called upon. Its leadership is stressing the importance of avoiding speculation into the cause of the tragedy pending the outcomes of the investigation,” the UN agency said in a statement released Wednesday.
The Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800, carrying mostly Iranians and Iranian-Canadians, crashed just minutes after taking off from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday he was “shocked and saddened” to know that 63 Canadians were on board the ill-fated passenger plane.
“There is a clear need for answers.Canada is very concerned on this,” Trudeau said.
The Canadian prime minister said Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne has been in touch with the Ukrainian government and is speaking to other international partners.
United States (US) aircraft surveillance firm Aireon said it has collected the position data from the crashed jet and is sharing it with the appropriate authorities.
The company’s satellite-based global tracking system provides more detailed information than is available on commercial websites, according to its spokeswoman.
According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko, there were 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians and 11 Ukrainian citizens on board the crashed jet.
–NNN-XINHUA
