A Kenmore Air seaplane carrying 11 passengers made an emergency landing in Washington state in the USA, according to the Coast Guard. Following the landing, the seaplane caught fire, but all passengers on board were rescued and transported to hospital, with four of them in critical condition. The airline stated that a de Havilland DHC-3 Otter, which had departed from Lake Union in Seattle, was involved in an accident at Shallow Bay, near the Canadian border.
Read also: Alaska: Dramatic emergency aircraft landing — the moment a small plane slams into the ground (Video)
USA: Flights cancelled following the incident
Authorities mobilized multiple resources and “numerous Good Samaritan vessels responded to assist,” according to the Coast Guard. “Several patients are being transported to local hospitals for medical evaluation and treatment,” it added.
Kenmore Air announced that all scheduled flights for today (July 24) have been cancelled, as the team is “focused on supporting the passengers, pilot, families, employees, and emergency response efforts following today’s accident near Sucia Island.”
The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office stated that all those on board the aircraft were rescued and that injuries ranged from “head trauma to fractures and abrasions.” “Kenmore Air is fully cooperating with the investigating authorities and we will continue to provide verified information as it becomes available,” the CEO said in a statement.
