Rumour that TRU student was on doomed Malaysian airliner has been ruled out

NEWS/ TRU —  A rumour that a Thompson Rivers University student was on the Malaysian Airlines plane shot down over Ukraine on Thursday has proven false.

The university confirmed Friday that speculation an Indonesian student from TRU was among the 295 people killed in the crash has been checked and ruled out.

“We can now confirm that none of our students were aboard the plane as we have been in contact with the Indonesian consulate,” a statement from the university said.

“We continue with our practice to not disclose any information that may compromise the privacy of any of our students. This is part of our steadfast commitment to protection of our students’ confidentiality as well as compliance with relevant legislation and privacy guidelines.”

After news reports Thursday said a student from “Thompson University” may have been on board the doomed plane, TRU officials were besieged with calls from news outlets around the world attempting to confirm it.

TRU vice president Christopher Seguin said privacy legislation and TRU policy don’t allow the university to reveal whether or not someone is a student there.