Witnesses have described their horror at seeing a ‘horrific’ accident that killed at least 15 people and injured a dozen others on a Canadian highway.
The collision between a semi-trailer truck and a bus in the province of Manitoba triggered a major emergency response and was one of the worst vehicle accidents in Canadian history.
Motorists said they saw the tragedy unfold, with Manitoba resident Tracy Leitch saying after the crash “there was nothing left of the vehicle”.
“I was almost in tears and almost had a panic attack. Like I had a really bad stomach ache,’ she told CTV News.
The two drivers involved were rushed to hospital but survived the crash, and officials declined to rule out the possibility of criminal charges over the tragedy.
At least 15 people have been killed following a serious collision between a tractor-trailer and a Handi-Transit van normally used to transport elderly and disabled people in Manitoba, Canada
Emergency services rushed to the scene with Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service (STARS) Winnipeg and Regina Air Ambulance Services dispatched two helicopters to assist those injured
The incident happened around 12 p.m. Thursday near Carberry, when the bus, which had already crossed several lanes of traffic, was rammed by the tractor-trailer.
Another witness, a truck driver who passed by the scene, said the carnage that ensued was unlike anything she had seen before.
“I’ve seen collisions before, but not like this, not of this magnitude,” Caroline Bleackley told the Winnipeg Free Press.
“There was a lot of damage… It was quite sad to see.”
“I have never seen such a serious accident,” added Jon Proven, who said he saw around 20 police vehicles and eight ambulances at the scene.
Nirmesh Vadera, who works at a cafe near the site, said he saw the vehicles burst into flames when he came out after hearing the crash.
“The fire was about 10 to 15 feet high and the smoke was almost 20, 30 feet high,” he said. Radio-Canada News. He added that one of the vehicles was completely burned within half an hour.
The two surviving drivers, Supt. Rob Lasson, the Manitoba RCMP officer in charge of major crime services, said investigators have not ruled out laying charges.
He declined to say which vehicle had priority, but added: ‘Answers will take time, but I can assure you the RCMP will get the answers.
“Even at the start of an investigation like this, we have to be aware that there could be wrongdoing. And if so, there could be a criminal element to this investigation.
Lasson added that investigators plan to contact officials in Saskatchewan, who previously handled a similar incident in April 2018.
The crash five years ago left 16 dead after a truck struck a bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team on a rural road. The truck driver was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2019.
The tractor-trailer is seen across the road, with victims lying in the middle of the highway
Emergency crews are seen at the scene of Thursday’s crash in Manitoba
The accident is one of the worst in Canadian history, with at least 15 people believed to have been killed
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday evening, Rob Hill, Commander of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said: “This is a day in Manitoba and across Canada that will be remembered as a tragedy and incredibly sad.
“To everyone waiting, I can’t imagine how hard it is not knowing if the person you love the most will be coming home tonight.
“I’m so sorry that I can’t get you the definitive answers you need sooner.”
The names of all the victims are still published. Ron Bretecher said both of his parents were among the passengers on the bus and while his mother is in hospital, his father is still missing.
“It’s just very difficult,” he said. “So my family is just waiting for a word.”
After the crash, passing motorists saw a nearby truck with a burnt front end, and a transport van was on fire in a ditch from which plumes of thick smoke were billowing.
Emergency services rushed to the scene with Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service (STARS) air ambulance services from Winnipeg and Regina dispatching two helicopters and two planes to assist the injured.
Winnipeg hospitals have also been placed on code orange, which is used for mass casualty events, and they are preparing for crash patients.
The crash happened around noon near Carberry, Manitoba
The bus, used to transport disabled and elderly people, is pictured on fire on Thursday
Firefighters were spraying water at a burning white vehicle that was in a roadside ditch.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police provided few details about the crash, but said constables were at the scene.
He asked people to avoid the area and yield to officers and emergency vehicles, in a tweet before 1 p.m.
The highway has been closed near Carberry while authorities deal with the serious incident.
All Manitoba RCMP resources were deployed in response to the accident and units from the west of the province were called in to assist along with other first responders.
The major criminal services have taken over the investigation.
STARS spokesman Blake Robert said: “We have deployed a number of assets to the scene.
“This includes STAR 7 which is our helicopter here in Winnipeg, STAR 9 which is our helicopter from Regina base and on top of that we have deployed medical teams on two fixed wing aircraft from here in Winnipeg.
“So between the two helicopters and the fixed-wing deployment to the area, 14 STARS critical care personnel are responding to the incident.”
He added: “It’s definitely a broader answer. It is certainly not something that is beyond our experience or capabilities, we have responded to big events like this in the past in other provinces.
“So we are certainly well prepared and well capable for that, but it’s certainly not a typical level of response required in a STARS mission.
“It sort of aligns with similar large incidents that we’ve responded to in the past, like the tragedy with Humboldt Broncos, the James Smith Cree Nation incident.”
The semi-trailer is pictured next to the burning bus on Thursday
The crash happened near the town of Carberry
Robert did not confirm the number of people transported from the site, but said they generally take patients to the Health Sciences Center (HSC) in Winnipeg.
A spokesperson for Shared Health, which coordinates the delivery of health services across Manitoba, confirmed that a mass casualty response is underway.
Several hospitals in the area were preparing to receive patients from the accident and some people being treated at the HSC may have to be moved to make room for the victims.
“The Health Sciences Center Winnipeg along with the hospitals of Prairie Mountain Health and the Winnipeg Health Region are ready to receive patients related to this event and/or displaced patients to build capacity at the Manitoba tertiary centre,” said said a Shared Health spokesperson.
And rooms for the families of the victims have been set up in the hospitals.
“My heart breaks upon hearing the news of the tragic accident near Carberry,” Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson said on Twitter.
