Fatal incident at military college in Canada leaves four cadets dead

By Kanishka Singh

(Reuters) -A probe was under way into a fatal incident involving a vehicle on the Royal Military College campus in Kingston, Ontario, which left four cadets dead, Canada’s Department of National Defence said on Friday.

The incident happened early on Friday, according to the department.

The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service was investigating the incident.

The college’s commodore, Josée Kurtz, identified the officer cadets as Jack Hogarth, Andrei Honciu, Broden Murphy and Andrés Salek.

“Four 4th-Year cadets of the Royal Military College of Canada travelling in a single vehicle lost their lives when their car entered the waters on campus at Point Frederick on Friday,” Kurtz said on Friday night. Further details were not available.

He said the four students were completing their Bachelor of Arts degrees. Hogarth and Salek were studying military and strategic studies and were going to become armour officers in the army.

Investigators were seen Friday examining the road and shoreline in boats and on foot. Late Friday afternoon, the vehicle that carried the cadets was pulled from the water by authorities, CBC News reported.

“My heart breaks for the families and friends of the four officer cadets who lost their lives early this morning in Kingston. The tragic passing of these young Canadians is a devastating loss. To all who knew them: We’re here for you,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Gerry Doyle)