A hospital in northern Canada is preparing for casualties after plane crashes, officials say

FORT SMITH, Northwest Territories (AP) — A hospital in Canada’s Northwest Territories has activated its mass casualty protocol after a passenger plane crashed nearby on Tuesday, authorities said.

There was no word yet on fatalities or how many people were on board the plane. The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories said it made the move after the morning crash.

The plane was a British Aerospace Jetstream registered to Northwestern Air Lease, according to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

The airline’s website says it has two of the planes in its fleet that can carry up to 19 passengers.

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The town of Fort Smith is about 1,300 miles (2,100 kilometers) northeast of Vancouver, British Columbia near the border between Alberta and the Northwest Territories.

A representative for the company did not provide an immediate comment but confirmed it was a charter plane.

The safety board is sending investigators to the scene.

Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Trenton confirmed the military responded when the plane lost contact shortly after taking off near Fort Smith.

The Air Force, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Canadian Rangers were all involved in the search-and-rescue, said David Lavallee, a public affairs officer with Search and Rescue Region Trenton.

Lavallee said a CC-130H Hercules aircraft travelled to the site from Calgary, Alberta and a CC-130J Hercules was sent from Trenton, Ont. A Twin Otter aircraft was sent from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

“Canadian Rangers located the aircraft near the Slave River, and (search-and-rescue) … parachuted into the site,” said Lavallee.