Canadians light candles to mourn victims of Iran plane crash

Canadians held candlelight vigils in several cities Thursday to remember 63 citizens killed in a plane crash in Iran, in what Canada's prime minister called a "tragedy that shocked the world." Canada has been in mourning since Wednesday's crash of the Ukraine International Airlines flight bound for Kiev from Tehran that killed all 176 people aboard. It was the largest loss of life among Canadians since an Air India flight blew up in 1985 over the Atlantic Ocean, killing 268 people from Canada. PM Justin Trudeau, citing intelligence sources, said Thursday the Ukraine airlines plane was likely brought down by an Iranian missile. He added the airliner's destruction "may well have been unintentional." Iran denied reports the plane was hit by a missile. The crash occurred hours after Iran fired ballistic missiles at two military bases in Iraq hosting US troops, and when Iranians were on high alert for a US military response. "What happened yesterday was a tragedy, a tragedy that shocked not only Canada, but the world," Trudeau said. He has said 138 people on the plane were connecting to a flight to Canada. The flight was a popular transit route for Canadians traveling to Iran, in the absence of direct flights, and carried many students and academics heading home from the holidays.<br/>