U of T to observe national moment of silence on Canadian campuses in memory of Flight 752 victims

President Meric Gertler is inviting the U of T community to join a national moment of silence on Jan. 15 in memory of those who died in the crash of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 in Iran last week.

Across Canada, university campuses will observe a moment of silence at 1 p.m. (EST), which Universities Canada is calling on Canadians to join.

“[M]any of the passengers on this flight were university students, faculty, researchers, alumni, and other members of Canada's academic community,” President Gertler said in a statement. “This heartbreaking loss is truly a national tragedy.”

All 176 passengers and crew were killed after the Boeing 737 passenger jet crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport en route to Kyiv on Jan. 8. Fifty-seven Canadians were among the victims.

It is estimated that 50 people – students, staff, and faculty members – from 19 universities and four colleges across Canada died in the crash.

Eight members of the U of T community, including six students, were among those whose names were on the plane’s passenger manifest:

• Mojtaba Abbasnezhad
• Mohammad Asadi Lari
• Zeynab Asadi Lari
• Mohammad Amin Beiruti
• Mohammad Amin Jebelli
• Mohammad Salehe
• Zahra Hasani
• Mohammad Mahdi Elyasi

In the days since the crash, students, faculty and members of the community have come together in a series of vigils and events at U of T to remember and mourn those who died.

The university was also the site of a community memorial gathering on Jan. 12 organized by Tirgan, an Iranian-Canadian cultural organization.

Feeling distressed? Find someone to talk to right now – and if there is an immediate risk, call 911.

Round-the-clock support:

Students can speak to a trained crisis worker at any hour of the day.

• U of T My SSP for students 1-844-451-9700. Immediate counselling support is available in 35 languages and ongoing support in 146 languages.  

Other 24-7 supports available to students include:

• Good 2 Talk Student Helpline 1-866-925-5454. Professional counselling, information and referrals for mental health, addictions and well-being.
• Gerstein Crisis Centre 416-929-5200 
• Distress Centres of Greater Toronto 416-408-HELP (4357)
• The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health at 250 College Street
• Anishnawbe Health Toronto Mental Health Crisis Line 416-360-0486

The following services are available to students on all three campuses:

• St. George campus: Health and Wellness Centre (416-978-8030), located at Koffler Student Services
• U of T Scarborough: Health & Wellness Centre 416-287-7065 
• U of T Mississauga: Health & Counselling Centre 905-828-5255

Faculty and staff have access to 24-7 support through:

• The Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP), offered through Homewood Health, online and by phone at 1-800-663-1142