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Two Calgarians are believed to have died in the Iran plane crash that killed 176 people on Wednesday.

Student leader

Arshia Arbabbahrami, a Grade 12 student at Western Canada High School, died when his flight, Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, crashed shortly after takeoff from Tehran.

The school’s principal Carma Cornea said Arbabbahrami was a “valued member of our school community” for the past three years.

“Arshia was highly involved in athletic activities, such as the track and field and swim and dive team,” she said.

“Arshia was returning to Canada after spending the holidays with his family in Iran. He dreamt of being a doctor and was a leader in our community who many students looked up to. Our collective thoughts are with Arshia’s family and friends, both in Iran as well as in Canada.”

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Cornea said the school is grieving together through the tragedy that has “deeply impacted our community,” and has set up a memorial table for condolence notes to be left for Arbabbahrami’s family.

Arshia Arbabbahrami, a Grade 12 student at Western Canada High School, died in the plane crash near Tehran, Iran, on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020. Credit: Facebook

The Calgary Board of Education said in a statement that it was saddened to learn about the death of one of its international students, adding that the CBE Critical Incident Response Team was on hand to support the teens.

“Students were provided guidance and given an opportunity to discuss the loss and share their thoughts, feelings and reactions,” the board said. “Students were also able to build connections to support one another.”

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‘Valued’ engineer

Kasra Saati, a former Viking Air employee in Calgary, is believed to have died in the crash, according to the company.

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READ MORE: What we know about Iran plane crash victims with Edmonton connections

Viking said he was an engineer and a “valued member” of the quality team at the Calgary aircraft assembly facility from early 2018 until December 2019.

“His loss is deeply felt by everyone who had the opportunity to work with him, and we share our sincere condolences with the Saati family and all those impacted by this tragic event,” a statement read.

Kasra Saati, a former Viking Air employee in Calgary, is believed to have died in the crash, according to the company. Courtesy: Eghbal Kayaden

Mayor Naheed Nenshi tweeted his sympathies, referencing both Calgary victims.

Among the 63 Canadian lives lost in the Ukraine International Airlines Flight were 2 Calgarians. Our hearts are heavy as we grieve the loss across the country and in our city with Arshia and Kasra’s families, everyone at Western Canada and at Viking Air. — Naheed Nenshi (@nenshi) January 9, 2020

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