SYDNEY: It has been confirmed that the two young Australians on the fatal Caspian Air flight from Tehran to Yerevan on Wednesday are Armenian brother and sister, Arin & Ani Apcarian.
The Apcarian family of Sydney's Hills District is in mourning after losing their two children. Arin, the older sibling, was reported to be a medical student at Westmead Hospital, while Ani was studying child care and gaining volunteer experience in her field at the Hamazkaine Toumanian Saturday School.
The tragic death of the Sydney pair comes on top of Armenian foreign affairs confirmation that 43 of the 168 victims of the crash were Armenian citizens. Flags in Armenia were flown at half-mast upon confirmation of the news.
The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia) released a statement on its website, joining the Armenian community worldwide in honouring and remembering the 168 victims of the Caspian Air disaster, and joining the Armenian-Australian community in mourning the loss of two "vibrant" young community members in the Apcarians.
ANC Australia's Community Relations Officer, Stephen Abolakian said: "Today is a sad day for Armenian's worldwide, and closer to us, the Armenian community in Sydney, who lost two vibrant members of the community."
He added: "Our heartfelt condolences have been passed onto the family during this very difficult time."
A memorial service for Arin and Ani Apcarian will be held at the Armenian Apostolic Church of Holy Resurrection (Macquarie Street, Chatswood NSW) on Wednesday 22 July, from 7:30pm.
