Community members gather and hold a vigil for the six people killed in a plane crash, in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, on Wednesday, January 24, 2024.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
FORT SMITH, N.W.T. – People in the Northwest Territories town of Fort Smith continue to support each other and mourn after six people died in a plane crash.
The Anglican Church in the community of 2,200 is planning to ring its bells every morning for six minutes.
The town’s three churches came together for a candlelight vigil Wednesday night, which included prayer, song and calls from community leaders to support each other and stay strong.
The charter plane had just taken off from Fort Smith and was en route to the Diavik Diamond Mine on Tuesday morning, when it hit the ground and caught fire.
The territorial coroner’s office has not identified the victims of the crash, but some family members have.
Clayton Balsillie says his sister Diane Balsillie was among those killed.
She and three others who died worked at the mine, and two were crew members with Northwestern Air Lease.
One mine worker survived and was airlifted to hospital in Yellowknife.
The Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 25, 2024.
