Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement on the crash of First Air charter flight 6560 near Resolute Bay :

“I am deeply saddened by news of this tragic plane crash near Resolute Bay .

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those passengers who lost their lives in this traged y. We also wish a speedy recovery to those who were injured.

“I would like to thank the dedicated members of the Canadian Armed Forces, who are in Resolute Bay for Operation Nanook 2011 and who have been working tirelessly on the ground with emergency personnel to respond to the situation .”

Prime Minister Harper is scheduled to visit Canada 's North next week. Details of his itinerary will be confirmed at a later date.

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