Journalist, 4 Canadian Troops Killed in Afghan Blast

Roadside bomb claims life of award-winning reporter Michelle Lang
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 31, 2009 5:28 AM CST
Journalist, 4 Canadian Troops Killed in Afghan Blast
In this Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009 picture, Calgary-based reporter Michelle Lang, 34, tries on her fragmentation vest and helmet at Kandahar Airfield.    (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Colin Perkel)

An award-winning Calgary Herald journalist was among five Canadians killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan yesterday. Michelle Lang, 34, was embedded with troops on a security patrol when their vehicle was hit in the Kandahar area. She had arrived in the country 2 weeks earlier on an assignment to report on Canada's NATO mission; it was the first trip to Afghanistan for Lang, who was the Herald's health reporter.

"We are all devastated by the loss of Michelle and our thoughts right now are with her family and her fiance," said Scott Anderson, editor-in-chief of Canwest News Service. "Journalists need to—and do—put themselves at risk every day to report first-hand on important stories like Afghanistan. But that doesn't make this any easier." (More Calgary stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X