Pond Inlet tent fire tragedy prompts condolences, donations

Pond Inlet Mayor Charlie Inuarak says his community is in mourning, but residents are also coming together,after a father and three children died following a tent fire.

"The community of Pond Inlet is going through tough times at the moment," Inuarak said in Inuktitut. "It's tough but we have to live through this now. But we always help each other out when someone is going through rough times."

The family two adults and four children, aged two to 11 were camping about a two-hour boat ride west of the community when the fire started at around 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 16.

A nine-year-old girl died shortly afterwards.

Nunavut's coroner confirmed Tuesday that the father and two other children also died "as a result of severe burn injuries."

The mother and one other child remain in hospital in Ottawa. The coroner said Tuesday they were in stable condition.

Donations and messages of support have been streaming in from communities across Nunavut, Inuarak said.

"I am very thankful for Pangnirtung, Iqaluit," he said. "I've been told they have been doing fundraisers to help and even people in the South are helping out."

A fundraising campaign started by a relative has already garnered more than $7,000 in donations.