Police find body of child following Northwest Territories house fire

FORT PROVIDENCE, N.W.T. — RCMP say they have located the body of a child following a house fire in Fort Providence, Northwest Territories.

Police say they were called around 1:20 p.m. Monday to a house that was fully engulfed in flames in the community of about 700 people southwest of Yellowknife.

When they arrived, they were told one child was unaccounted for. 

Officers say they tried to enter the home at the time, but the fire was too severe. 

A GoFundMe page set up by a relative says a daughter died in the fire and the family has five other children. 

Several other people in the home were treated for minor injuries.

On Tuesday, Health Minister Julie Green said the territory’s health authority was sending extra counsellors to help support the community. 

As of Wednesday afternoon, around $13,000 had been raised for the family through the GoFundMe page.

The coroner’s office of the Northwest Territories is investigating. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 30, 2020.

The Canadian Press