Community rallies around family of 9-year-old Syrian refugee killed by bus in Abbotsford

Abbotsford’s Islamic community is lending its support to the family of a girl who was struck and killed by a bus on her way to school on Friday.

Nine-year-old Hala Albarhoum had moved to Canada with her family in late 2015 to escape the violence in Syria.

Police said the girl, who was a student at Ten-Broeck Elementary, was in a crosswalk at South Fraser Way and Hill-Tout Street at 8:22 a.m. when she was struck by the bus.

Police, fire and ambulance rushed to the scene and she was transported to hospital in critical condition. Police said she died shortly after her arrival.

Hala was laid to rest on Saturday afternoon.

Adnan Bhat, a member of the Abbotsford Islamic Centre, said the Albarhoums fled their war-torn homeland and were grateful to have arrived in Canada over a year ago as government-sponsored refugees. The family has been struggling financially since government support ended after their first year in the country.

He described Hala as a “very sweet, very adorable and very shy” girl who “always stood for the right thing.”

An online fundraiser has been set up for the Albarhoum family.

— With files from Amy Judd