Rio Tinto chief ‘numb’ as mining giant confirms four among plane crash dead
London-listed mining giant Rio Tinto has confirmed a number of its workers were on board a plane which crashed, killing six in total.
The company issued a statement this morning saying four members of its Diavik diamond mining team were amongst the dead, alongside two airline crew members.
This comes after a plane crashed yesterday, travelling to the company’s Diavik diamond mine near the town of Fort Smith in Canada.
In a statement issued this morning, the company said: “Another member of our Diavik team survived the crash and received treatment in hospital.”
Rio Tinto Chief Executive Jakob Stausholm added: “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 to 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.”
Yesterday following the incident, Stausholm said the company was “absolutely devastated”.
The tragic news hits a company already beleaguered by employee accidents across its operations, which included two permanent disabling injuries in 2023.
Rio Tinto said last week it remained in a “chronic state of unease” about safety across its mining operations.