Six Reported Dead in Second Diavik Plane Crash
January 24, 24
(IDEX Online) - Six people are reported to have died when a small plane headed for Rio Tinto's Diavik diamond mine, in Canada's remote Northwest Territories, crashed shortly after take-off yesterday (23 January).
There has been no official confirmation of the death toll, but AFP (Agence France-Presse) quotes an aviation source as saying six people died and one survived.
The tragedy comes less than a month after another small plane, also headed for Diavik, crashed near the mine. The two crew and eight passengers - workers on the mine's winter road - all survived when the Air Tindi plane came down on 27 December.
In yesterday's fatal crash a chartered Jetstream twin turboprop airliner operated by Northwest Air came down on the banks of the Slave River, less than a mile from the end of the runway at Fort Smith Airport.
Contact was lost with plane after it took off at 8:50 am local time for the hour-long flight to Yellowknife, the NWT capital.
Workers routinely fly to and from Diavik and neighboring mines because they're so remote there are no roads.
The Air Force, RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) were involved in the search-and-rescue. Canadian Rangers located the wrecked plane and parachuted to the crash site.
Rio Tinto chief executive, Jakob Stausholm said: "I would like to extend our deepest sympathy to the families, friends, and loved ones of those who have been affected by this tragedy. 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."
Northwest Territories Premier R.J. Simpson said: "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."
Pic courtesy Rio Tinto of Diavik mine.