The Australian mining giant said a plane bound for its Diavik mine and “carrying a number of our people” crashed “resulting in fatalities.”

According to an aviation source, who asked not to be named as they were not authorised to speak to the media, one person survived.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton, Ontario said contact with the plane was lost shortly after it took off at about 8.50am local time from Fort Smith, which is 320km southwest of the regional capital Yellowknife.

Canadian Rangers on snowmobiles located the wreckage of the craft, while search and rescue technicians parachuted into the scene.

Northwestern Air, which operated the Jetstream twin turboprop airliner, said the charter flight crashed 1.1km from the end of the runway.

All flights from Fort Smith have been grounded until Wednesday.

Canada’s transportation safety board deployed a team to investigate the accident.

Rio Tinto’s chief executive officer Jakob Stausholm extended the firm’s “deepest sympathy” to families, friends, and loved ones of those affected.

“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,” he said.