At least six people died Wednesday in Haiti in the crash of a small commercial plane in the town of Carrefour, near the capital Port-au-Prince. A Quebecer would be among the victims.
Posted at 11:10 p.m.
Updated at 11:41 p.m.
According to Paule Robitaille, the provincial deputy for the riding of Bourassa-Sauvé in the National Assembly, Gamaniel Valcin, the father of Riley Valcin, who died last Christmas day at the Ferris wheel in Montreal, would be among the victims.
“I was with Mr. Valcin last week. We awarded a medal from the National Assembly to his son posthumously, a symbol of perseverance and determination. Terrible fate for this exemplary family which has shown and will continue to show immense courage,” she said on Facebook.
“A terrible tragedy in December and now the father of the family who perishes. No words seem to live up to what the Valcin family is going through. Fate persists. Courage certainly and a lot of love to get through the rest. Condolences to all loved ones, ”said Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) leader Dominique Anglade on Twitter.
Wednesday evening, The Press was unable to confirm the information with the family.
The aircraft ensured the journey between Port-au-Prince and Jacmel, in the south of the country. All five passengers on the plane died. The pilot of the aircraft, who had been rushed to hospital, died of his injuries on Wednesday evening at Diquini hospital, according to Le Nouvellistethe largest daily newspaper in the country.
In crashing, the aircraft killed a motorbike taxi driver and hit a truck transporting consumer products, seriously injuring five, according to Judge Moïse Jean. All the injured were taken to hospital.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry said in a tweet “deeply saddened” by the tragedy, addressing “(his) sympathies to the families of the victims”.
“I have instructed the competent authorities, in particular [l’Office National de l’Aviation Civile] to immediately launch an investigation to determine the causes of this tragic accident which is mourning the entire country,” he added.
Haiti’s National Civil Aviation Bureau said the aircraft involved in the crash was a Cessna 207. No further details were provided.
The crash comes nine months after another small private plane, also bound for Jacmel, crashed near Port-au-Prince, killing six people, including two American missionaries.
The use of small planes to travel from Port-au-Prince to communities further south has grown in popularity with the rise in kidnappings and gang violence, particularly in the Martissant region, which connects the capital to the southern region of Haiti.
With information from Agence France-Presse, The Associated Press and The Canadian Press