A tragic accident unfolded in Canada's remote north on Tuesday, as a small commuter plane carrying six workers to a mine crashed shortly after takeoff, claiming all lives onboard except for one survivor. At the time of the crash, the aircraft was en route to the Diavik diamond mine owned by mining company Rio Tinto, according to a report by the news agency Reuters.
The registered owner of the plane, Northwestern Air Lease, indicated that it maintains two variations of British Aerospace Jetstream models in its fleet, both designed to accommodate up to 19 passengers.
The crash in the Northwest Territories prompted a response from both the military and federal police. Canadian Rangers, utilizing snowmobiles, successfully located the wreckage, while search and rescue technicians descended via parachute from a Hercules aircraft.
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton, Ontario, reported that contact with the aircraft was severed shortly after its departure around 8:50 am local time from Fort Smith, situated 320 kilometers (200 miles) southwest of the regional capital Yellowknife.