Canada plane crash latest: Emergency services attending reported plane crash at Toronto airport – BBC.com
Source: BBC News
Two people remain in hospital after a Delta plane arriving into Toronto Pearson airport crashed and skidded along the runway before flipping upside down
The two patients do not face life-threatening injuries, Toronto Pearson airport CEO Deborah Flint says at a news conference
Asked about the runway’s conditions at the time of the crash, Flint says it is too early to speculate on what caused it
She does say the airport has been experiencing “extreme conditions” in the days running up to the crash, with “two separate snowstorms” and “not typical” snowfall
All 76 passengers and four crew on the flight from Minnesota survived the incident
Twenty-one people were taken to hospital with injuries – 19 have since been released
Watch: Video of Toronto plane crash analysed by aviation experts
Edited by Brandon Livesay with Jessica Murphy at Toronto Airport
We’ve just heard from Toronto officials who weren’t able to shed much light on yesterday’s crash due to the ongoing investigation.
Here’s what we did learn from that press conference:
Watch: BBC asks police about ‘difficult’ conditions at Toronto airport
BBC reporter Jessica Murphy asks Deputy Chief Marc Andrews for more detail on the conditions at the airport on Monday afternoon.
Andrews says he was speaking about the “environment conditions: the cold, the wind, the fact that we were still having the occasional snow”.
But, he reiterates, they are “used to working in” weather like that, and the first responders did a “tremendous job”.
“It’s part of the environment that we operate in,” he says.
A representative from the Peel Regional Paramedic Services details the injuries that first responders encountered following the crash.
Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Marc Andrews says conditions were “difficult” at the scene of the crash.
But, he adds, they “regularly practice” with other first responders and “were prepared for this event, as extreme as it was”.
Todd Aitken, fire chief at Toronto Pearson, is speaking about the response to the crash.
He says the crew put out spot fires upon arrival at the plane wreckage.
They then did a primary search and rescue operation during which all the passengers were evacuated from the plane.
Aitken adds that most passengers “self-evacuated” following the incident.
As a reminder, you can watch this update live at the top of this page.
Toronto Pearson airport CEO Deborah Flint is taking questions now.
Asked about the conditions on the runway during the crash, Flint says it is “not the time” to speculate on the cause of the crash.
There is an ongoing investigation “to determine all the causal factors”, she says.
“We are looking forward” to getting the results, Flint adds, and will share that information “at a proper time”.
She also says that there are no life-threatening injuries.
Flint now talks about operations at Toronto Pearson Airport, noting that their emergency operation centre remains open and operations on the airport’s runways have resumed.
“We have been in recovery mode,” she says, adding that they are currently without use of the longest east-west and north-south runways.
She says investigators on sight will be reviewing the crashed aircraft on the runway for next 48 hours. The removal of the aircraft will follow.
Torontoâs airport, barring a slew of late and cancelled
flights still today, feels very much back to normal.
Two runways remained closed on Tuesday as the
investigation into yesterdayâs crash continues.
Even with the delays – due to both weather and the crash
– travellers are moving through the terminals at Pearson, one of the busiest
airports in Canada.
Itâs a juxtaposition to the dramatic footage from
yesterday of the Delta flightâs crash landing.
Airport CEO Deborah Flint says the snow at the weekend
was far more than Pearson usually receives – Monday was a chance for the
airport to return to normal operations.
The airport has been experiencing “extreme conditions” in the days running up to the crash, Flint says, with “two separate snowstorms” and “not typical” snowfall.
There had been “many delays and cancellations” to flights in the area, she says.
Monday, however, was a “clear day”, Flint says, and had been seen as one for an “operational recovery” following the weather-related disruption.
Flint goes on to give an overview of yesterday’s crash.
She repeats that the plane was carrying four crew members and 76 passengers.
She says 21 passengers were injured, and adds that 19 people have since left the hospital they were treated at.
Airport CEO Deborah Flint thanks flight attendants, calling them ‘heroes’
Flint starts by saying “it’s really important to recognise how grateful we are” there was no loss of life in the plane crash.
She praises flight attendants and crew who “heroically led passengers to safety” from the overturned plane, amid smoke on the runway.
“Thank you for all you do every day at night,” she says.
Toronto Pearson airport CEO Deborah Flint is now giving an update on yesterday’s plane
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