A 10-year-old child has died after an early morning fire on a First Nation in southwestern Ontario.
Haldimand County OPP said emergency crews responded to a fire in the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation just before 2 a.m. on Monday.
Const. Ed Sanchuk said firefighters arrived to find a camping trailer on fire and later found a child inside who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Six people – two adults and four children – managed to escape the fire and suffered minor injuries, Sanchuk said.
The First Nation said the child who died was 10 years old.
"The Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of a young community member this morning," Chief R. Stacey LaForme wrote in a statement.
"Two adults and four children escaped, the extent of the injuries is unknown."
The OPP's crime unit, the Fire Marshal's office, the Office of the Chief Coroner and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service are investigating.
Sanchuk said provincial police are still gathering exact details on what happened.
"I just wanted to put out my sincere and deepest condolences to everyone who's been affected by this tragedy, to family members to friends to the victims involved in this incident, and to the community for your loss" Sanchuk said in a social media video.
"You are in our thoughts and prayers as we deal with this tragedy."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 13, 2023.
The Canadian Press
