Northwestern Air Lease: Six dead, one survivor when plane bound for diamond mine crashes in Canada | international

Canadian authorities announced that a British Aerospace Jetstream plane belonging to the regional Northwestern Air Lease company crashed on Tuesday morning in an area of ​​the Northwest Territories near the city of Fort Smith, on the border with the province of Alberta (western Canada). nation). Four passengers and two crew members died, the director of the Northwest Territories coroner's office reported Wednesday. One person survived and was taken to Stanton Hospital in Yellowknife. His health condition is still unknown.

The plane crashed shortly after takeoff, about 500 meters from the end of the runway at Fort Smith Regional Airport. Northwestern Air Lease, which offers regional service, has two planes, each seating 19 passengers. The Royal Canadian Air Force sent two Hercules aircraft and a Twin Otter aircraft to the area. Likewise, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Canadian Rangers (an army reserve unit) searched the grounds and found the remains of the plane. The plane was headed to the Diavik diamond mine owned by Rio Tinto, located about 300 kilometers northeast of Yellowknife.

The Canadian Transportation Safety Bureau sent a team of investigators to the crash site. The causes of the tragedy are not yet known. Rio Tinto CEO Jacob Stasholm sent a message of condolence to the families, adding: “We are working closely with the authorities and will assist in any way we can in their efforts to find out exactly what happened.”

Northwest Territories Premier RJ Simpson issued a statement remembering the victims. “The people we lost were not just passengers: they were our neighbours, colleagues, friends and loved ones. We will never forget their stories and their contribution to our communities,” said Simpson. This is the second air tragedy in less than 48 hours in Western Canada. Three people were killed Monday in Helicopter crash near Terrace, British Columbia. The three victims, who were heli-skiers or off-piste skiers, were Italian nationals.

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