New Delhi: In an unfortunate tragedy, four members of a family of Indian origin died due to exposure to harsh cold weather on the Canadian side of the Us-Canada border in an apparent human smuggling operation.
Manitoba Royal Canadian Mountain Police (RCMP) on Thursday reported that bodies of two adults, a teen and an infant were found on the Canadian side of the US-Canada Border near Emerson on Wednesday.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed his shock at the heartbreaking tragedy and instructed the Indian Ambassadors in the US and Canada to promptly respond to the situation.
“Shocked by the report that 4 Indian nationals, including an infant, have lost their lives at the Canada-US border. Have asked our Ambassadors in the US and Canada to urgently respond to the situation,” Jaishankar tweeted.
RCMP Assistant Commissioner Jane McLatchy, in a press conference, shared about the discovery.
"What I am about to share is going to be difficult for many people to hear," she said, calling it "an absolute and heartbreaking tragedy".
"At this very early stage of the investigation, it appears that they all died due to exposure to the cold weather," MacLatchy said and added that the RCMP believed that the four people were connected to the group that was apprehended on the U.S. side of the border.
She added that all four members were located within 9-12 metres of the border.
MacLatchy mentioned that the group was “on their own in the middle of a blizzard” and “faced not only the cold weather but endless fields, large snowdrifts, and complete darkness".
India’s High Commissioner to Canada Ajay Bisaria confirmed the nationality of the four people and described the incident as a “grave tragedy.” "This is a grave tragedy. An Indian consular team is travelling today from @IndiainToronto to Manitoba to coordinate and help. We will work with Canadian authorities to investigate these disturbing events," Bisaria tweeted.