By Kolawole Ojebisi
No fewer than eight people sustained varying degrees of injury following an accident involving a Delta Airlines in Canada.
The plane reportedly carrying 80 passengers from the United States flipped while landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday.
The incident occurred as the airport dealt with severe weather conditions, including high winds and freezing temperatures.
Airlines were also attempting to clear a backlog of flights following a weekend snowstorm that left more than 22 centimetres (8.6 inches) of snow at Pearson.
Video footage posted by News Channel3 Now showed the Delta plane overturned on a snow-covered tarmac, with passengers walking away from the wreckage.
“Of the eight injuries, one was critical and the rest were mild to moderate,” said Peel Regional Paramedic Services Supervisor Lawrence Saindon.
In response to the crash, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a halt to all departures. Pearson Airport, the busiest in Canada, confirmed that the Delta plane had arrived from Minneapolis. Delta acknowledged the incident, stating that it involved a flight operated by its Endeavor subsidiary.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada, which investigates aviation accidents, has not yet commented on the crash. Transport Canada, the government agency overseeing air travel, said it was monitoring the situation.
This accident follows a series of recent aviation crashes in North America.
Recall that in late January, an Army helicopter collided with a passenger jet in Washington, killing 67 people, while at least seven people died when a medical transport plane crashed in Philadelphia.
