AIDS researchers killed on flight

Ontario’s Premier, Kathleen Wynne, expressed her condolences via Twitter today writing: “So sad to hear Andrei Anghel from Ajax was on the Malaysian flight. Our thoughts are with his family during this tragic time of sorrow.”

And last night, Prime Minister Harper released a statement saying: “On behalf of the Government of Canada, Laureen and I offer our thoughts and prayers to the families and friends of the victims of this outrageous act.”

An American was also on that flight. Quinn Lucas Schansman held dual citizenship in Holland. Reports say he was on his way to meet family members who were vacationing in Malaysia. Also , it appears there’s another U.S. connection.

Indiana University says 25-year old Karlijn Keijzer — a doctoral student in the department of chemistry — was also on that flight.

They say she was a member of the rowing team — and was researching a promising drug candidate for Alzheimer’s disease — before she left for summer vacation.
They were among some of the world’s top AIDS researchers when that plane went down. Both President Obama and former U.S. President Bill Clinton spoke about the devastating loss today along with world health officials.

Clinton called the crash and lives lost “sickening”.

Clinton also says he is shocked and has given a statement we will get to shortly. As many as 100 of the world leading HIV AIDS researchers and advocates may have been on MH flight 17.

They were heading to the 20th International AIDS Conference in Melbourne set to begin on Sunday. It has been described as a devastating blow to efforts to tackle the virus. Clinton will deliver an address to the AIDS conference but said today he is absolutely disgusted with this news: “It’s awful, I mean those people are really in a way martyrs for the cause that we’re going to Australia to talk about.”

The organizers of the conference say they don’t know exactly how many of the 12 thousand researchers coming to Melbourne were on board that flight. But the president-elect of the conference expressed his sorrow.

Chris Beyrer, International AIDS Society President-elect: “At this incredibly sad and sensitive time the IAS stands with our international family and sends condolences to the loved ones of those who have been lost in this tragedy.”

At the headquarters of the U.N. and World Health Organization in Switzerland staffers held a minute of silence with reporters in memory of a WHO spokesman. It has been confirmed that Glenn Thomas, a WHO media relations coordinator was killed in the crash. President Barack Obama spoke today and said these researchers and advocates dedicated their lives to saving others: “In this world today, we shouldn’t forget that in the midst of conflict and killing, there are people like these, people who are focused on what can be built rather than what can be destroyed, people who are focused on how they can help people that they’ve never met.”

The United Nations AIDS program says it fears “some of the finest academics, health-care workers and activists in the AIDS response may have perished” on the plane. At this point, there’s still no official confirmation of the number of researchers on board, but the investigation continues.