Candlelight vigil held in Fort Smith, N.W.T., after six people die in plane crash

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

A tearful candlelight vigil was held at the cathedral in Fort Smith, N.W.T., on Wednesday evening, after a plane carrying seven people went down near the town’s airport a day earlier.

Two crew members and four passengers headed for work at the Diavik Diamond Mine were killed.

Mine owner Rio Tinto says the lone survivor was also a company worker.

Fort Smith’s three churches came together to organize the vigil, which included prayer, song, and calls from community leaders to support each other and stay strong.

First responders and RCMP officers were among the attendees at the packed gathering in a community of roughly 2200 people.

Rev. Aaron Solberg of St. John’s Anglican Church says they were looking to offer people encouragement and stability.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada continues to investigate the deadly crash.