Northwest Territories Coroner Service investigating incident
Six people died when a plane carrying Rio Tinto workers crashed near Fort Smith in the Northwest Territories on Tuesday.
The fatalities include four passengers and two Northwestern Air Lease crew members who were enroute to the global mining company's Diavik Diamond Mine, the Northwest Territories government’s Office of the Chief Coroner said in a media release.
One other person on the plane survived the plane crash and was taken to the Fort Smith Center. The survivor was then brought to the Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has informed all next of kin of all the fatalities.
The NWT Coroner Service is investigating the incident.
“The NWT Coroner Service is in the community and will be working with local resources to access the site and begin the recovery process,” they said on Wednesday. “The NWT Coroner Service would like to express our condolences to the families and community of Fort Smith during this very tragic and difficult time.”
On Tuesday after, the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) announced it was deploying a team of investigators to investigate the crash, according to a CBC report. The TSB said it was gathering information and assessing the incident.
Also, the RCMP, the Canadian Rangers and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) all responded to a report of lost contact with an aircraft outside of Fort Smith Tuesday morning, a spokesperson for the RCAF confirmed, according to CBC.
Rio Tinto, Premier R.J. Simpson extend condolences
Rio Tinto also extended its condolences to the families of those who were killed in the plane crash.
“I would like to extend our deepest sympathy to the families, friends, and loved ones of those who have been affected by this tragedy,” said Jakob Stausholm, Rio Tinto chief executive. “As a company, we are absolutely devastated by this news and offering our full support to our people and the community who are grieving today.
“We are working closely with authorities and will help in any way we can with their efforts to find out exactly what has happened.”
In a statement, Northwest Territories Premier R.J. Simpson said: “The impact of this incident is felt across the territory. The people we lost were not just passengers on a flight; they were neighbours, colleagues, friends, and loved ones. Their stories and contributions to our communities will not be forgotten.
“As we seek to understand the circumstances of this tragedy, I’d also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the first responders and rescue teams who continue to work tirelessly at the crash site.”
