A few days after the tragedy in Washington, a Delta Air Lines passenger plane suffered a serious accident upon landing at Pearson International Airport in Toronto (Canada), leaving at least 18 people injured, three of them in critical condition. The aircraft, a CRJ-900 from Minneapolis (USA), overturned on the runway and came to rest upside down, forcing the temporary suspension of operations at the air terminal.
The model of the accident aircraft is from the same family as the one that crashed in Washington on January 30 and is one of the aircraft used by Air Nostrum for inter-island flights. The CRJ (Canadair Regional Jet) model is an aircraft widely used by airlines specializing in regional flights around the world.
Three critically injured
According to Canadian authorities, the seriously injured include:
- A minor, transported by helicopter to Toronto Children’s Hospital.
- A man of approximately 60 years of age.
- A woman in her 40s.
Both adults were evacuated by helicopter to area hospitals.
Delta Air Lines confirmed that there are no fatalities and that all passengers and crew members have been located.
The accident and the emergency response
The incident occurred at around 14:15 local time (19:15 GMT), when flight 4819, operated by Endeavor Air, was attempting to land in Toronto.
Images broadcast by media outlets such as CNN and social networks show the aircraft face down in the middle of the runway, with no wings and smoke coming out of the fuselage, while passengers and emergency personnel walk around it.
Reactions and context
- Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed his sympathy for those affected: “The hearts of the entire Delta global family go out to those affected by today’s incident at Toronto-Pearson International Airport.
- Anita Anand, Canada’s Minister of Transport, said she is closely monitoring the situation.
- The airport resumed operations after several hours of suspension.
Bad weather conditions in Toronto
Toronto has been affected by heavy snowfall since last Thursday, causing cancellations and delays at Pearson Airport. However, by Monday, weather conditions had improved.
Authorities have opened an investigation to determine the causes of the accident.
