Montreal families greet flight out of Istanbul with relief, and tears

ZohrehSalajeghehad tearful hugs and kisses for hertwo daughters after they arrived in Montreal on a Turkish Airlinesflight from Istanbul's Ataturk airportTuesday night.

At one point,Salajeghesaid she thought the girls had missed their flight, which departed shortly before suicide bombers attackedtheairport Tuesday, killing36peopleand woundingmore than 140 others.

• ISIS suspected as Istanbul airport suicide bombing death toll hits 36

"I'm so happy to see them," she said through tears.

Her 15-year-old daughter,YasminKanagarani, only foundout about the attackafter landing in Montreal.

"Oh my God," she said. "I don't know what to say. I feel very lucky.God must like me a lot."

'Chilling'

EmmettMarchand, another passenger arriving from Istanbul,said it was"chilling" to think they had just avoided the attack.

Fellow passengerIrynaSushko said herfirst priority was to call her parents and let them know she was safe.

"It's very scary. They don't know that we've arrived here. It's terrifying," she said.

HosseinZamaniwas at Montreal'sTrudeauAirport to meet his wife, who was coming home from Iran via Istanbul.

The attack left him shaken.

"I'm left speechless, I can't put it into words how worrisome it could be," he said.

Community leader condemns attack

Istanbul airport bombing

8 years ago

Duration 2:27

Three suicide bombers opened fire before blowing themselves up in the main international airport in Istanbul, killing at least 31 people and wounding 147.

Yilmaz Ekinci, president of the Montreal Turkish Centre, condemned the attack, pointing out thatit occurred during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

"So many people died for nothing," he said.

"We are not happy, but this terrorism one day is going to finish."

Ekinci saidMontreal's 20,000 residents of Turkish descent will be following developments from Istanbul closely, as they always do.

"We always come together," he said.

"Everyone listens to the news."

Turkey has suffered a spate of bombings this year, including two suicide attacks in tourist areas of Istanbul blamed on ISIS, and two car bombings in the capital, Ankara, which were claimed by a Kurdish militant group.