Rescue efforts underway to evacuate 10 people after plane crash in N.W.T.

Rescue efforts are underway after a small aircraft crashed on Wednesday leaving 10 people stranded with injuries near a diamond mine about 300 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife.

The spokesman of the 1 Canadian Air Division and Canadian NORAD Region Headquarters says the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Trenton launched a search-and-rescue operation after an Air Tindi Twin Otter aircraft landed about 16 kilometres southeast of Diavik Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories.

David Lavallee says a Royal Canadian Air Force Hercules aircraft flew from Winnipeg and arrived to the accident area on Wednesday evening.

He says three search-and-rescue technicians, who are highly-trained first response and survival experts, were parachuted to the accident location with supplies and equipment.

Lavallee says the plane had two crew members and eight passengers on board when it crashed and six of these people had minor injuries while two had moderate to serious injuries.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Trenton says it's working with Air Tindi, which operated the aircraft, on an extraction plan that includes preparing helicopters with medical teams to travel to the accident location later this morning before transporting the group to Yellowknife.