A tragic plane crash in Canada's Northwest Territories took the lives of six individuals earlier this week. Mining corporation Rio Tinto confirmed that four of the deceased were employees en route to a company diamond mine when the disaster occurred.
The plane crash transpired on Jan. 23 in Canada’s Northwest Territories. According to a news release from Rio Tinto, the aircraft was transporting its employees to the company’s Diavik mine.
"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," said CEO Jakob Stausholm in the Jan. 23 news release.
Rio Tinto is a mining corporation based in northwest Canada, tracing its origins back to 1870 when it purchased the Rio Tinto mines from the Spanish government. By 1883, it supplied 10% of the world’s copper, and expanded its operations to Australia in 1954.
In an updated statement regarding the plane crash, Stausholm added some details."We are feeling numb with the devastating news that we have lost dear friends and colleagues. I extend our deepest sympathy to the families, friends, and loved ones of those who have been affected by this tragedy. I am heading to the Northwest Territories to be with our team and offer our full support. We will be working closely with authorities over the coming days, weeks and months, to support their efforts to understand the full facts of what has happened," said Stausholm.
The Diavik Diamond Mine began production in 2003 and has since produced 4.65 million carats. Located 200 kilometers south of the Arctic Circle, it consists of four diamond-bearing pipes that are mined both underground and via open pits, according to the company’s page dedicated to the Diavik mine. The fourth diamond pipe was commissioned in 2018. Plans for the mine’s closure have been in place since its inception, as stated on the company's page about the mine.