Plane carrying mine workers crashes in Canada, 6 dead

A small plane carrying workers to a remote mine crashes near Fort Smith in Canada’s Far Northwest Territories, killing six people. The plane was headed towards the Diavik diamond mine of mining company Rio Tinto. It was found near the Slave River when it lost contact with air traffic control after taking off near Fort Smith at 8:50 am (local time), reports news agency Reuters. It was not immediately known what caused the accident.

Northwestern Air Lease, the aircraft’s registered owner, said it has two types of British Aerospace Jetstream models in its fleet, both with a capacity of 19 passengers. In a statement, Rio Tinto Chief Executive Jakob Stosholm said the company was devastated by the accident. “We are working closely with the authorities and will assist in any way we can in their efforts to find out exactly what happened,” Stosholm said. Maxim Klich, a public affairs officer with the Canadian Armed Forces, was quoted by Reuters as saying that three squadrons of the Royal Canadian Air Force were dispatched to the scene for rescue and search operations.

Northwest Territories Premier RJ Simpson expressed his condolences to the families of those killed in the crash. “With a heavy heart, I offer my deepest condolences to the families, friends and loved ones of those who were aboard the Northwestern Air plane that crashed today outside Fort Smith,” he said. According to Reuters, Garth Eggenberger, chief coroner for the Northwest Territories, confirmed the deaths, but said officials would not release further details until family members were notified.