In a rural area of the Canadian province of Manitoba, a bus bringing seniors to a casino crashed with a semi-trailer truck on Thursday, killing 15 people and wounding another 10, according to authorities.
The bus was transporting 25 persons, according to Rob Hill, Commanding Officer of the Manitoba Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and officials in Manitoba were sending all of their resources to the location. Hospitals received ten of the patients.
Images of what appeared to be a huge van or bus burning in a ditch next to a delivery vehicle with a shattered engine on a road were shown on TV. Broken glass, a sizable bumper, and what appeared to be a walking aid were among the debris that covered the pavement. Seven tarps in blue and yellow were spread out.
According to RCMP Supt. Rob Lasson, “As of right now, the drivers of the bus and truck are both alive and in the hospital.” If they were one of the 10 people reported as injured, he did not specify. Most of the dead were elderly people.
According to Lasson, there should have been a stop and yield sign as the bus was traveling south. He added that it is crucial to the investigation to determine who had the right of way when the truck impacted the bus as it was crossing the eastbound lanes.
The general population is in shock and has many questions, and many are attempting to find out if their loved ones were involved, according to Lasson. Death of this magnitude is never considered normal for us.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted, “The news from Carberry, Manitoba, is very heartbreaking. “I’m keeping the injured in my thoughts and sending my sincere condolences to those who lost loved ones today.”
In Dauphin, Manitoba, a Lutheran church has established a family support center for kin. According to the police, those on the bus were residents of Dauphin and the surrounding districts.
At the Manitoba legislature, the flags are at half-staff.
The vehicle was supposed to arrive at the Sand Hills Casino in Carberry later in the day, according to a spokeswoman.
The bus departed from the senior center on Thursday morning, according to Kim Armstrong, the director of the Dauphin senior center.
In the 8,600-person city, the elderly community is incredibly close-knit, and the center occasionally feels like a second home, according to her.
“Losing so many members of our community is significant, and it is obviously shocking. We simply offer prayers for those who are still alive, she said.
According to Armstrong, community members, and senior citizens frequently take bus trips to local casinos or events.
In a statement, the truck business expressed its sadness at the collision but provided few clues as to what went wrong.
Day & Ross CEO William Doherty stated, “We will completely participate in the investigation and provide whatever assistance and support that we can.
When the collision occurred, Nirmesh Vadera, who was working at a company at the side of the road, claimed he rushed outside and found a transport vehicle on the road with a smashed engine. On the side of the road, in the grass, a bus was aflame. He claimed that emergency personnel were working to extricate occupants from the flaming car.
“It was burning and all the (firefighters), medical help, and everybody was trying to get them away from the fire,” he added.
The collision brought back memories of the minor league hockey club Humboldt Broncos bus crash that claimed 16 lives in the neighboring state of Saskatchewan in 2018. According to Lasson, the crash’s investigators are helping.
The RCMP commanding officer, Hill, remarked, “Unfortunately, this is a day that will be remembered as one of tragedy and incredible sadness in Manitoba and across Canada.”
