It was supposed to be a fun getaway: a group of elderly people from a sleepy town in Manitoba traveled by bus to a casino, where they could play slot machines and possibly enjoy bison pasta. of the Oasis restaurant. Instead, police said at least 15 people were killed and 10 injured when a semi-trailer plowed into a bus on a rural stretch of highway about 10 minutes from their destination.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the crash, which shocked Canada and the prairie province of Manitoba, was the first mass-fatal motor vehicle accident they were aware of in Manitoba. For many in the province, it also left a sad afterthought, reminiscent of another fatal accident in April 2018 in Humboldt, neighboring Saskatchewan state, where 16 minor hockey players and staff age were killed when their bus collided with a semi-trailer truck.
Police say the cause is unclear and an investigation is pending.
Amanda Novak, a community leader from Dauphin, the small tree-lined town of about 8,400 people that many of those killed call home, said the crash devastated Dauphin and will reverberate in the future. many years to come.
“Everybody in a smaller community is connected in some way or another, so it’s going to be closer to home for most people,” she said in a phone interview. .
The bodies of those killed are still being identified and no names have been released.
Ron Bretecher told CBC, the national broadcaster, that both his father and mother were on the bus. He said his mother was at a hospital in Winnipeg while his father was still missing. His family is “awaiting news,” he told the broadcaster Thursday night. “It’s just very difficult.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada called the crash “extremely tragic.” “I can’t imagine the pain those affected are feeling — but Canadians are here for you.” he wrote on Twitter.
The accident happened around noon local time on Thursday near Carberry, about 100 miles west of Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba. Police said the incident happened in clear conditions on the Trans-Canada Highway, a highway used by vehicles and passengers to cross the country.
Police said the bus carrying 25 passengers had traveled for two hours and was crossing a four-lane highway when it was hit by a semi-trailer truck; Both drivers survived the collision and are being treated for their injuries at the hospital. Police said they were considering whether to criminally prosecute the drivers.
Police said many of the passengers killed were elderly. Of the 10 injured, some were taken by ambulance to hospitals in Winnipeg and Brandon, Manitoba.
Dauphin, home to many passengers with a large Ukrainian population, is known in Manitoba for its annual Dauphin Countryfest, the longest running country music festival in Canada. The passengers were on a trip to Sand Hills Casinoit’s on National First Swan Lake, about 10 minutes south of the accident site. The casino has over 300 slot machines, Blackjack and Roulette tables and hosts themed buffet nights.
Vjosa Isai Contribution reports from Toronto.
