A priest asked his congregation to pray for victims and first responders at a church service in Fort Smith on Sunday days after six people died in a tragic plane crash.
The charter plane had just taken off from the town on the boundary with Alberta and was en route to the Diavik Diamond Mine on Tuesday morning, when it hit the ground and caught fire.
One mine worker survived and was airlifted to hospital in Yellowknife.
Father Aaron Solberg of St. Joseph91裸聊视频檚 Anglican church addressed the crash at his weekly service and offered a prayer for both the living and the dead.
Solberg said there was a 91裸聊视频渉ole in our hearts91裸聊视频� for the families.
91裸聊视频淏ring them consolation and comfort. Bless those who have survived and cure their memories of trauma and anguish,91裸聊视频� Solberg said.
91裸聊视频淲e pray for our health-care workers. We pray for the mental health of the Rangers and the RCMP and all first responders. We pray for the pilots 91裸聊视频� for those who work in or with the airlines. We pray for those who have no choice but to fly.91裸聊视频�
Army Rangers rushed to the crash site on snowmobiles after the plane went down, along with EMS, hoping to provide aid to the victims.
The Transportation Safety Board has released photos of the crash site showing the plane severely damaged, its fuselage tattered, lying in a heavily wooded area just west of town.
Increased counselling is being offered for all residents including in the schools.
Father Solberg said at a time like this people should not be alone and his sermon called for more support from others within the community.
91裸聊视频淭hings are not OK,91裸聊视频� Solberg said in an interview with The Canadian Press after the service.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 always the concern that people start to become really bitter rather than work through it.91裸聊视频�
Solberg has only been in Fort Smith for six months but has spent years in the North. He said it was important to include the first responders in his prayer.
91裸聊视频淚 work closely with enough of them, or know enough of them, to know what they saw and what they experienced on that day is traumatic. I know what that can do to people,91裸聊视频� he said.
91裸聊视频淚 saw also that this is a tragedy that struck the whole community. People are really broken up. It91裸聊视频檚 like the emotion has been squeezed out of you. No one91裸聊视频檚 unaffected by it.91裸聊视频�
Solberg said he is worried people will try and ignore what happened and move on. He said the only way through the grief is to confront it head on and talk about it.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 my big worry because we need to talk about it. We need to be together in community. It has affected so many people,91裸聊视频� Solberg said.
91裸聊视频淭his town just keeps getting hit by one tragedy after another and one traumatic event after another and it catches up with you.91裸聊视频�
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Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press
