Rio Tinto ‘devastated’ as several employees dead in charter plane crash

Several employees of mining giant Rio Tinto have died after a company flight crashed in Canada in the past few hours.

The plane was travelling to the company’s Diavik diamond mine near the town of Fort Smith in Canada.

The company has not disclosed the number of passengers or deaths nor the time of the incident.

“I would like to extend our deepest sympathy to the families, friends, and loved ones of those who have been affected by this tragedy,” Rio Tinto chief executive Jakob Stausholm said in a statement today.

“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.”

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.