Premier David Eby has issued the following statement marking the National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Air Disasters:

“Four years ago today, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shot down a passenger aircraft travelling from Iran to Ukraine. All 176 people aboard Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752 were killed, including 55 Canadian citizens, 30 Canadian permanent residents and many others with ties to Canada.

“Several of the victims were from British Columbia. They left behind sorrowful friends and family, as well as legacies of positive contributions to their communities.

“The destruction of Flight 752 caused the greatest loss of Canadian lives in an air disaster since 280 Canadians died in 1985 after a bomb destroyed Air India Flight 182 en route from Toronto to London, England.

“Today, on the fourth National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Air Disasters, we join loved ones in mourning those lost. This is a solemn day of pain and grief for all those who have lost friends and families in air disasters.

“To honour the memory of the victims of Flight 752, as well as the role of the Iranian diaspora in continuing to support the call for ‘woman, life, freedom’, following the death of Mahsa Amini, our government has pledged to work with the city of North Vancouver to create a permanent monument.

“We stand with the victims’ families in demanding justice following the attack on Flight 752.”