Two Canadians were among the 68 people that were killed in a plane crash in Kyrgyzstan on Aug. 24, Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed.

Authorities in Kyrgyzstan have officially advised consular officials that two Canadians were confirmed to be among the dead, a spokesman said on Aug. 26.

A consular official is in the republic's capital of Bishkek and will stay in contact with local authorities until the victims' remains have been identified, the spokesman said.

On Aug. 24, the plane took off in the evening from Bishkek's main airport for Tehran, but minutes later the crew radioed that it was experiencing technical difficulties and tried to return.

The Boeing 737 then crashed 10 kilometers from Bishkek's Manas International Airport.

Forensic experts from Iran are trying to identify the remains of the victims.

Kyrgyzstan's health minister said only nine bodies have been identified so far and local specialists are struggling to complete the process without advanced DNA technology.