Bodies found frozen near Canada-U.S. border identified as family from India
Four people found frozen in a Manitoba field near the Canada-U.S. border last week have been officially identified as a family from India.
The bodies of husband and wife Jagdish Baldevbhai Patel, 39, and Vaishaliben Jagdishkumar Patel, 37, were discovered in a field just north of the border on Jan. 19, alongside their three-year-old son, Dharmik Jagdishkumar Patel.
The body of their other child was also found nearby, officials said last week. She has now been identified as their 11-year-old daughter, Vihangi Jagdishkumar Patel.
The identities of the family were confirmed by the High Commission of India in Ottawa in a news release Thursday.
At a news conference later Thursday afternoon, Manitoba RCMP Chief Supt. Rob Hill confirmed that while Mounties initially identified the people found as a man, woman, teenage boy and infant, the children who died were actually a girl and a toddler.
“We apologize for that error, but please understand that the frozen state in which the bodies were found and the clothing worn by the family made the initial confirmation difficult. It is also why the process to confirm the names took an extended period of time,” Hill said.
Autopsies of the four were done on Wednesday by Manitoba’s chief medical examiner and confirmed that the family members died of exposure to extreme weather conditions.
“This is an extended period of time for a family who is unfamiliar with Canada to be travelling across the country,” he said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the RCMP’s major crime services tip line at 431-489-8551.
Tipsters can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 or submit a secure tip online at manitobacrimestoppers.com.
Canada is a preferred destination for Indian immigrants and students, the news release said, and the two countries work together to ensure the safety and well-being of Indian immigrants in Canada.
“The two countries have a regular consular dialogue which takes up issues related to migration and welfare of citizens in each other’s territories,” the release said.
The death of the family discovered last week has highlighted the need to ensure migration and mobility between countries are made safe and legal to avoid similar tragedies, the release said.
A number of ideas to prevent irregular migration, human smuggling and trafficking are being discussed by the two countries, it said. That includes a comprehensive migration and mobility partnership agreement with Canada, which the release said remains under the consideration of the Canadian government.
~WakenyaCanada
