A ramp worker at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport died after an accident involving a plane Monday evening, officials said.
Aéroports de Montréal, the authority that operates the airport, said in a statement Tuesday that the worker was employed by Samsic, a company that provides airport and passenger support services.
The authority had said in an earlier statement that emergency responders were deployed at the airport about 7:30 p.m. “following an unfortunate accident involving an aircraft and an employee of the airport community.”
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada, which was sending investigators to the scene, said the episode involved an Airbus A350 operated by French Bee, a French low-cost airline.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union in Canada identified the worker who was killed as Oscar Robayo.
“Although serious accidents are rare, the dangers our members face day to day at work make safety the No. 1 priority,” Dave Flowers, president of the union, said in a statement. He said the union would not be making further statements, citing the investigation.
It was not immediately clear how Robayo died.
The Montreal police referred inquiries about the investigation to a federal agency, Employment and Social Development Canada, which said it had begun an investigation to determine the cause of the fatal episode “and prevent similar tragedies.” It did not provide further details.
A Montreal police official told The Canadian Press that the worker was struck as the plane was reversing and was rushed to a hospital.
French Bee and Samsic did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday. In a statement to The Canadian Press, the airline said the accident involved the aircraft and a pushback vehicle.
“The precise circumstances surrounding the accident have not yet been established,” the airline said.
Yves Beauchamp, president and CEO of Aéroports de Montréal, said in a statement Tuesday that it had provided support “for employees and passengers who witnessed this tragic accident” and that it was cooperating with the investigation.
“The loss of a member of our airport community affects us all deeply,” he said.
Canada’s transport minister, Steve MacKinnon, shared his condolences Tuesday.
“The safety and security of Canadians is Transport Canada’s highest priority,” he said, referring to Canada’s transportation agency.
He added that the agency would appoint a ministerial observer “to keep me informed as the investigation progresses.”
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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