Plane carrying Rio Tinto workers to diamond mine crashes in Canada

A plane carrying workers to a Rio Tinto diamond mine in Canada's Northwest Territories has crashed shortly after take-off, killing multiple people.

Officials said the small Jetstream aircraft was on its way to the company's Diavik mine and some passengers on board were employees.

"We are absolutely devastated by this news," Rio Tinto's CEO Jakob Stausholm said in a statement.

The company said it is working closely with authorities in the investigation.

The Northwest Territories coroner's office confirmed that multiple people died in the Tuesday crash, but did not say how many as officials work to notify the families of the victims. The Jetstream aircraft can carry up to 19 people.

The Northwestern Air plane crashed near Fort Smith, a small town about 740 kilometres south of Yellowknife, north of the Alberta border.

Canada's public broadcaster CBC reported that the plane crashed about 500 metres from the end of the Fort Smith Regional Airport's runway. Joint Rescue Coordination Center Trenton said it lost contact with the plane shortly after take-off.

The Fort Smith Health Center said it had "activated its Mass Causality Protocol" in response to the crash.

Rio Tinto's Diavik Diamond Mine is about 300 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife. According to the company's website, it has been in operation since 2003.

The incident has been "very devastating" for the close-knit community, said Fort Smith's deputy mayor Dianna Korol.

"Everybody has a little piece — or somebody that they know," Ms Korol told the CBC.

RJ Simpson, the premier of the Northwest Territories, offered his condolences to the victims' families and friends.

"The impact of this incident is felt across the territory," Mr Simpson said.

"The people we lost were not just passengers on a flight; they were neighbours, colleagues, friends and loved ones. Their stories and contributions to our communities will not be forgotten."

Both the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are investigating the crash.