CBS News
Canada plane crash leaves unknown number dead in Northwest Territories
A small passenger plane carrying workers to Rio Tinto’s Diavik diamond mine in Canada’s Northwest Territories crashed Tuesday in the town of Fort Smith, killing at least some of those on board, according to authorities and the mining company. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police confirmed multiple fatalities in the crash, but it was unclear how many people had been on board the Jetstream aircraft, which can carry up to 19 people.
The jet belonged to regional carrier Northwestern Air and went down only about 500 yards from the end of the runway at Fort Smith Regional Airport, Canadian national broadcaster CBC reported, citing the local coroner.
“At this time, we can confirm there are fatalities, but we will not be providing any additional information pending next of kin notifications,” the coroner’s office in Yellowknife, which is leading the investigation into the deaths, told CBS News.
CBC quoted mining giant Rio Tinto as saying in a statement that it was cooperating with authorities and had offered to help with efforts to determine the cause of the crash.
“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,” Rio Tinto CEO Jakob Stausholm was quoted as saying.
In response to the incident, the Fort Smith Health Center in the Northwest Territories said it had “activated its Mass Causality Protocol in response to the crash at approximately 8:50 in the morning.”
In a post on its Facebook page, the local Fort Smith administration asked residents to stay away from the area to allow emergency responders to do their work.
A representative of Northwest Air confirmed the crash to CBS News on Tuesday evening but said the airline could provide no further information.
Joint Rescue Coordination Center Trenton said the plane crashed shortly after takeoff.
“Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Canadian Rangers were all involved in the search and rescue operation,” the center said.
“The community is in shock,” CBC quoted Fort Smith deputy mayor Dianna Korol as saying. “Everybody has a little piece — or somebody that they know. It’s very devastating. The families are grieving and we just hope that everybody has the strength to carry on and get through this tragedy.”
In a separate incident on Monday, one of three helicopters running a heliskiing operation in British Colombia crashed, killing three people and seriously wounding four others, according to a statement from Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the skiing company.
“We are working closely with the RCMP and other authorities to support the investigation into the cause of the incident,” John Forrest, the head of the Northern Escape Heliskiing company said in a statement. “The guest who ski with us and the staff who work with as each season are part of our family.”
CBS News’ Lauren Fichten contributed to this report.
CBS News
Kamala Harris will speak with “60 Minutes” tomorrow. Here’s what to know for the interview.
Voters will get the chance to hear from Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday as she presents her case for why she should be president in a “60 Minutes” election special.
For decades, “60 Minutes” has featured both Republican and Democratic nominees for presidents, but this year, former President Donald Trump backed out after previously indicating he would be on the show. Correspondent Scott Pelley, who’d been set to interview Trump, will instead travel to Arizona’s Maricopa County, home to more than 60% of Arizona’s voters and a critical battleground in a key swing state.
One thing is certain about the election; with the U.S. deeply involved in both the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, whoever wins on Nov. 5 will become a wartime president.
What Harris will discuss
Israel’s war started one year ago after Hamas launched a surprise terror attack and correspondent Bill Whitaker will discuss the ongoing war with Harris.
Harris will also discuss the economy, immigration, her record as vice president and the differences between herself and Trump.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz will also appear.
Whitaker joined the Democratic ticket on the campaign trail this week to gain insight into their platform’s priorities and values, and what the candidates believe voters should know.
Why Trump pulled out of the “60 Minutes” interview
Leading up to the candidate hour, Trump, through campaign spokespeople, was the first candidate to accept the “60 Minutes” request to be interviewed for the special, according to CBS News. It had been agreed that both candidates would receive equal time during the broadcast.
Trump last sat down with 60 Minutes in 2020. He walked out during the interview with Lesley Stahl. Trump referenced the incident on Tuesday night at a Milwaukee press conference when asked about his decision not to participate in the Oct. 7 “60 Minutes” election special.
“Well, right now, I went to – they came to me and would like me to do an interview, but first I want to get an apology, because the last time I did an interview with them, if you remember, they challenged me on the computer,” Trump said. “They said the ‘laptop from hell’ was from Russia, and I said it wasn’t from Russia. It was from Hunter, and I never got an apology, so I’m sort of waiting. I’d love to do ’60 Minutes.’ I do everything.”
The Republican nominee for president emphasized that he felt he was owed an apology from “60 Minutes.”
“Let’s see if they do it. I wouldn’t mind doing 60,” Trump continued. “I’ve done ’60 Minutes’ a lot.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said that Trump’s team had not agreed to an interview.
“Fake News,” Cheung said in a post on X. “60 Minutes begged for an interview, even after they were caught lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop back in 2020. There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever scheduled or locked in. They also insisted on doing live fact checking, which is unprecedented.”
Previous Trump, Harris appearances on 60 Minutes
Trump previously sat down with “60 Minutes'” Mike Wallace in 1985, Pelley in 2015 and Lesley Stahl twice in 2016, first in July of that year and then again in November of 2016. He also spoke with Stahl again in 2018 and 2020.
Harris previously sat down with Whitaker last year. She also was interviewed by Norah O’Donnell, “CBS Evening News” anchor and “60 Minutes” contributing correspondent, in 2020.
How to watch the “60 Minutes” election special
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.