A Delta Air Lines aircraft crash-landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday afternoon, flipping onto its back and leaving 17 passengers injured.
Emergency services responded swiftly, preventing any loss of life, reports CBC.
Departures and arrivals at Pearson were temporarily suspended following the incident, but operations resumed on three runways by 5pm ET, according to Deborah Flint, president and CEO of Toronto Pearson.
Two runways remain closed as investigations continue.
Flint confirmed that all 17 injured passengers were taken to local hospitals, though the severity of their conditions remains unclear.
Initial reports of the number of casualties fluctuated, with Peel Regional Paramedic Services first reporting eight injuries before revising the count to 15.
Delta later stated that 18 individuals were affected, a figure that included three family members who accompanied the injured.
The aircraft, a Mitsubishi CRJ-900LR operated by Endeavor Air, carried 76 passengers and four crew members on its journey from Minneapolis to Toronto.
Among those on board, 22 were Canadian citizens, while the remainder comprised various nationalities.
Ontario's air ambulance service, Ornge, confirmed that a child was transported to Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children in critical condition.
A man in his 60s and a woman in her 40s also suffered critical injuries and were admitted to Toronto hospitals.
The emergency response involved three air ambulance helicopters and two critical care land ambulances.
Audio recordings from Pearson’s air traffic control tower revealed that Delta Flight 4819 had been cleared to land shortly after 2pm, with controllers warning of a possible airflow disturbance from another aircraft.
Moments later, chaotic transmissions from ground crews described a "huge emergency" unfolding on the tarmac.
One voice on the recording can be heard confirming, "The aircraft ... is upside down and burning."
The crash occurred amid challenging weather conditions, as Pearson had been dealing with the aftermath of a heavy snowfall over the weekend.
The airport had been bracing for a busy day, with over 130,000 travellers expected to board around 1,000 flights.
Flint credited the rapid response of first responders for mitigating the disaster.
"We are very grateful there was no loss of life and only relatively minor injuries," she stated.
"Our focus remains on the care and well-being of the passengers and crew, many of whom have now been reunited with their families."
Delta Air Lines acknowledged the incident in a statement, assuring that their primary focus was on supporting affected passengers.
"Delta is working to connect with customers travelling through Pearson and encourages them to monitor updates via the Fly Delta app," the airline said.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, with further updates expected in the coming days.
