WestJet Flight 442 Diverted Due To Threat, 6 Injured During Evacuation

Six passengers were injured Monday night after Canada's WestJet flight traveling from Edmonton to Toronto was diverted to Winnipeg due to an unspecified threat. The passengers were injured while they were getting off the Boeing 737-700 aircraft through the emergency evacuation slides.

Flight 442, carrying 54 passengers and five crew members, landed at the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson Airport, CBC News, a local news network, reported. Several fire trucks, police vehicles and ambulances reached the tarmac at the Winnipeg airport to provide assistance. A representative for Winnipeg Airports Authorities said, according to CBC News, that the passengers were being interviewed by police.

“The flight crew, in conjunction with our Operations Control Centre, made the decision to divert the aircraft to Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport,” Robert Palmer, a company spokesman, said in an emailed statement, according to the Globe and Mail, a local newspaper, adding: “In order to evacuate the aircraft as quickly as possible, the crew made the decision to deploy the emergency evacuation slides. Initial reports indicate six guests received non-life threatening injuries during the evacuation and were treated by emergency response officials on the ground.

"A number were taken to hospital for further treatment, accompanied by members of WestJet’s Special Assistance Team," he said.

The passengers will stay in local hotels for the night and will be reportedly put on flights to Toronto Tuesday morning. The company did not reveal details about the kind of threat the flight faced, the Globe and the Mail reported.

Last week, a WestJet flight from Edmonton to Halifax landed in Saskatoon after a threat was reported. Police officials said that they received information about an explosive device on the flight, the Edmonton Journal reported. However, it turned out to be a false alarm as officials did not find any such device. Police are investigating the call, which is believed to have been made from Ontario.

Last Thursday, Canada's St. John’s International Airport was closed briefly after a bomb threat was sounded for an Air Canada flight. However, no threat was found on board.