63 Canadians are dead following the devastating crash of a Ukraine International Airline flight late last night in Iran.

Airline officials say it’s believed 176 passengers and crew on board the plane were killed in the crash, which occurred shortly after takeoff. They’re working to clarify the exact number of passengers on board.

Ukraine Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko says among the dead are 82 people from Iran, 63 from canada, 11 from Ukraine, 10 from Sweden, four from Afghanistan, three from Germany, and three from the UK.

Officials say Flight PS752 from Tehran, Iran to Kyiv, Ukraine vanished from radars shortly after leaving Tehran International Airport.

Investigation will be conducted with the involvement of the aviation authorities of Ukraine, Iran, representatives of the Boeing manufacturer, the airline, and the National Bureau of Air Accidents Investigation of Ukraine. The airline will inform about the progress of the investigation and the causes of the tragic event as soon as they are identified.
– Statement from Ukraine International Airlines.

Ukraine International Airlines says the plane was a Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft built in 2016. The last scheduled maintenance was on January 6, 2020.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, but early reports indicate mechanical issues are believed to be the cause of the incident.

Government of Canada Issues Travel Warning in Iran

Meanwhile, the Government of Canada has issued a warning to avoid non-essential travel to Iran “due to the volatile security situation, the regional threat of terrorism and the risk of arbitrary detention.”

The warning notes that Canadians—and particularly dual Canadian-Iranian citizens—may be ‘arbitrarily questioned,’ arrested and detained. It cautions Canadian-Iranian dual citizens to carefully consider risks of traveling to the country, as Iran doesn’t recognize dual nationality.

View the caution at this link.