A passenger plane crashed early Tuesday near the town of Fort Smith, N.W.T., close the Alberta boundary. The RCMP logo is seen outside the force's 'E' division headquarters in Surrey, B.C., on Thursday, March 16, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

FORT SMITH, N.W.T. - A passenger plane crashed early Tuesday near the town of Fort Smith, N.W.T., near the Alberta boundary. The coroner's office says six people have died and one person was taken to hospital.

Global mining giant Rio Tinto has said a number of its staff were on the plane headed to the Diavik Diamond Mine, 300 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife.

Here are the latest developments. (All times are MT):

4:30 p.m.

A priest at the town's Anglican Church says the community is in shock after the N.W.T. coroner announced six people had died in the crash.

Aaron Solberg says Fort Smith's three churches are coming together to provide support and stability to the town of roughly 2,500.

He says no one is unaffected by the six fatalities.

Solberg also went to the local hospital to support those affected and first responders.

---

2:30 p.m.

A candlelight vigil for those on the plane that crashed Tuesday is to be held tonight at a church in Fort Smith, N.W.T.

St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Cathedral says a community unites when tragedy strikes.

It says anyone who wants to attend can comfort each other through prayer, song and heartfelt thoughts.

---

2:15 p.m.

The Speaker of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly says its flags will be flying at half-mast as a sign of respect and mourning for those involved in the plane crash.

Shane Thompson offered his condolences to the families of the six people who died.

He says the crash is devastating for Fort Smith and for the territory as a whole.

Thompson says they will be grieving the losses together.

---

2:10 p.m.

A Calgary-based airline pilot says he used to fly planes in and out of the airport at Fort Smith, N.W.T.

Laval St. Germain says it's a remote area of flat boreal forest.

He says it's challenging for operations due to the weather, remoteness and lack of services.

The commercial airline captain says he didn't want to speculate on why the plane crashed Tuesday, but he says it was snowing and there was low visibility in the area when the plane took off.

---

2 p.m.

A longtime resident of Fort Smith, N.W.T., says his community is sombre after six people died and one was injured in a plane crash near the town.

Kevin Antoniak says he knew of those on the Northwestern Air Lease plane that went down Tuesday.

He says he regularly takes flights with the airline into Yellowknife.

He adds that the area where the plane crashed near Fort Smith is thick with trees, making it difficult for rescue and recovery crews to access.

_

12:55 p.m.

The owner of the Diavik Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories says one of its workers survived the plane crash and is in hospital.

Jakob Stausholm with Rio Tinto says the company is numb with the news that four other workers and two of the plane's crew were killed.

The plane was heading to the mine and crashed shortly after taking off Tuesday from the airport at Fort Smith.

An initial report from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada says there was a fire after the crash, and the plane was destroyed.

---

11:30 a.m.

Communities in the Northwest Territories are extending their condolences to the town of Fort Smith.

Kandis Jameson, mayor of the Town of Hay River, says she's reached out to Fort Smith's mayor to offer support.

She says her town mourns with its neighbours in the South Slave region and a candlelight vigil is being held in Hay River.

The City of Yellowknife has also expressed sympathies to the families and friends of those in the crash.

It says it's offering support during an incredibly difficult time.

---

10:15 a.m.

The Office of the Chief Coroner in the Northwest Territories says four passengers and two crew members have died in the plane crash near Fort Smith, N.W.T.

One survivor has been airlifted to the hospital in Yellowknife.

It says next of kin have been notified, and it is working to access the site and begin the recovery process.

---

9:45 a.m.

The mayor and town council for Fort Smith, N.W.T., says they are deeply saddened by the deadly plane crash near their community.

They say in a statement that those who died are treasured members of the community and the deaths touch everyone.

The town says anyone who doesn't want to be alone can go to the Community Recreation Centre this morning for snacks, drinks and friendly faces.

---

8:45 a.m.

The Northwest Territories coroner's office is expected to provide an update today into the deadly plane crash near Fort Smith, N.W.T.

It has said there were fatalities, but there's no word on how many.

The plane took off Tuesday from the airport in Fort Smith, near the Alberta boundary, when it lost contact and crashed near the banks of the Slave River.

Mining company Rio Tinto says a number of its staff were on the plane, which was headed to its Diavik Diamond Mine.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 24, 2024.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2024