In Memoriam: Siavash Ghafouri-Azar and Sara Mamani
Former Concordia Engineering Students Among Victims of Iranian Plane Crash
On Wednesday morning, a Ukraine International Airlines flight carrying 167 passengers and nine crew members crashed minutes after takeoff from Tehran, Iran’s main airport, claiming the lives of everyone on board.
Of the passengers on flight PS752, 63 were Canadian—many with ties to Montreal, including former Concordia engineering students Siavash Ghafouri-Azar and Sara Mamani.
Ghafouri-Azar held a master’s in science from the university, where he also worked as an instructor. He was also a performance specialist with aerospace company Pratt and Whitney Canada. Mamani held a master’s degree in mechanical, industrial, and geoenvironmental engineering and was working with Bombardier at the time of her death.
The two had flown to Iran to celebrate their recent marriage.
The passenger jet flight crashed into farmlands just beyond the Iranian airport, leaving behind flaming debris. The flight was destined for Kyiv, Ukraine, a popular connection for Iranian-Canadians returning to Canada.
A statement released by the airline said it is working on confirming the accuracy of reports of the crash.
At least three other Montrealers were on board this flight as well: Arvin Morattab, Aiza Farzaneh, and Mohammed Moeini.
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