OTTAWA, June 15 (Reuters) – At least 15 individuals had been killed in the Canadian prairie province of Manitoba on Thursday after a semi-trailer truck hit a small bus that was carrying a gaggle of primarily aged individuals, police mentioned.
The crash is without doubt one of the most deadly highway accidents in latest Canadian historical past.
The crash occurred on the junction of two main roads close to the city of Carberry in southwestern Manitoba, 170 km (105 miles) west of Winnipeg. The bus passengers had been on their option to a on line casino in Carberry, CBC News reported, citing a on line casino spokesperson.
“We’ve been able to establish that at least 15 people have been confirmed deceased as a result of this collision,” mentioned Assistant Commissioner Rob Hill, who instructions the Manitoba Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Hill advised a televised information convention that “sadly, this is a day in Manitoba and across Canada that will be remembered as one of tragedy and incredible sadness.”
The bus had been carrying about 25 individuals, most of them aged, he mentioned.
Ten different individuals had been being handled in hospital. Police mentioned the drivers of each autos had been alive, and declined to say who may need been liable for the crash.
[1/2] SENSITIVE MATERIAL. THIS IMAGE MAY OFFEND OR DISTURB Police secures the world on the crash scene close to Carberry, Manitoba, Canada June 15, 2023 in this nonetheless picture obtained from a social media video. PortageOnline/Mike Blume/through REUTERS
Media studies initially recognized the car as a van somewhat than a bus. They mentioned it was operated by Handi-Transit, which transports the aged and people with disabilities.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation confirmed a nonetheless picture of a white minivan-sized car that had been burned out. It additionally confirmed an image of a blue truck with a smashed-in entrance.
Wheelchairs and crumpled walkers remained close to tarpaulins masking our bodies on the website, the Winnipeg Free Press mentioned.
In a tweet, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau mentioned he despatched his “deepest condolences to those who lost loved ones today, and I’m keeping the injured in my thoughts. I cannot imagine the pain those affected are feeling,” he mentioned.
“My heart breaks hearing the news of the tragic accident near Carberry,” Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson mentioned on Twitter.
In neighboring Saskatchewan, 16 individuals died in April 2018 after a truck hit a bus transporting a junior hockey staff on a rural highway. The truck driver was sentenced to eight years in jail in 2019.
The worst site visitors accident in Canadian historical past occurred in 1997 when a bus carrying seniors plunged right into a ravine in the province of Quebec, killing 44 individuals.
Reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa
Additional reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa and Nia Williams in British Columbia;
Editing by Sandra Maler, Matthew Lewis and Grant McCool
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
