All 25 people on a plane that crashed in northern Saskatchewan are accounted for, and there have been no fatalities, police say.
Fond du Lac RCMP responded to reports of a downed aircraft near the local airport at about 6:15 p.m. Wednesday.
Police say the West Wind Aviation plane, carrying 22 passengers along with three crew members, crashed shortly after takeoff from Fond du Lac. Officers spotted the aircraft less than a kilometre from the airstrip. They have also confirmed that there was no fire or explosion on the plane.
A spokesperson from West Wind Aviation tells CTV News the ATR-42 turbo-prop plane was en route to Stony Rapids.
RCMP say there are multiple injuries, some serious enough to require air ambulance services. The Canadian Press is reporting one of the passengers is an infant.
A relative of two people who were on the plane said he is praying for their recovery and thankful for the efforts of first responders who helped them.
Darryl McDonald said his 70-year-old mother, Ernestine, suffered a broken jaw and facial injuries when the plane went down.
Ernestine was being flown to a hospital in Saskatoon and McDonald's sister Brenda was being taken to a clinic in Stony Rapids for treatment of injuries to her legs, he said.
"She has a low heartbeat but they have kept her stable," McDonald said of his mother.
"I am hoping that she pulls through, that they have strength. My prayers go out to them."
McDonald, who lives in Louisdale, N.S., said he learned of the crash through a friend in Fond Du Lac and contacted another sister, who rushed to the local health clinic where their mother and sister were taken immediately after they got out of the plane.
West Wind Aviation also released a written statement, saying, "The care of passengers and crew remain the priority."
A spokesperson with the Transportation Safety Board says a team of investigators is expected to arrive at the crash site Thursday.
Fond du Lac is located just south of the border between Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories. There are very few roads into the community.
With files from the Canadian Press