The chief medical examiner for the Northwest Territories has confirmed that people were killed in a plane crash Tuesday morning near Fort Smith on the Alberta border, without giving a number.
“We know that there are deaths, but we do not know how many,” argued Garth Eggenberger early Tuesday evening, indicating that this information will be known when the team of coroners examines the scene of the accident a priori early in the morning.
The chief medical examiner was also unaware of the presence of survivors. Families will be contacted once the victims are identified, he added.
Open in full screen mode
Fort Smith is located near the Alberta border, approximately 700 kilometers by road from Yellowknife.
Photo: Radio-Canada
It is still unclear what caused the accident and how many passengers were on board the plane. According to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, which sent a team of investigators to the scene, the BAE Jetstream plane belonged to Northwestern Air Lease.
According to Garth Eggenberger, the accident site is about 500 meters from the end of the runway at Fort Smith Airport.
Multinational mining company Rio Tinto said several of its employees were on board the plane that was heading to the Diavik diamond mine.
As a company, we are shocked by this news. […] “We are working closely with the authorities and will do our best to find out what happened,” Rio Tinto said in a statement.
Fort Smith is in shock
Fort Smith Deputy Mayor Dianna Korol says this accident is devastating for this community where everyone knows each other and helps each other.
The community is in shock. […] Families mourn. We just hope everyone has the strength to move forward and get through this tragedy.
It's been a pretty tough year and so has this week for the people of Fort Smith. We're pretty close, so we'll get through this. […] Fort Smith is strong.
Psychological support is available to residents who need it, and Dianna Korol encourages them to seek help.
The territory's premier, RJ Simpson, expressed his condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims in a statement this afternoon.
We are feeling the impact of this incident throughout the Northwest Territories. The people we lost weren't just passengers: they were our neighbors, our colleagues, our friends and our loved ones. “We will never forget their stories and their contributions to our communities,” he wrote.
There are emergencies waiting for injured people
For its part, the Fort Smith Health Center activated its “large number of injuries” protocol on Tuesday morning. It will remain in effect until there is official direction that the incident response is complete, the Health and Human Services Administration press release said.
The center will accept patients who need urgent care, but regular appointments may be postponed to free up resources, it said.
Open in full screen mode
Search and rescue teams were dropped over Fort Smith by a Hercules aircraft Tuesday morning.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Carla Ulrich
Earlier on Tuesday, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) said it had dispatched two Hercules aircraft and a Twin Otter to the scene. According to David Lavallée, RCAF public affairs officer in Winnipeg, the RCMP and Canadian Rangers conducted a field search before locating the aircraft west of Fort Smith near Slave River.
Around 9:40 a.m. Mountain Time, the city of Fort Smith notified residents that there had been an accident involving an aircraft. She urged them on Facebook to stay away from the area to make it easier for emergency services to access.
Fort Smith is located about 700 kilometers by road from Yellowknife, near the Alberta border.