At least 15 killed in Canada highway crash after truck hits bus in
Manitoba
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[June 16, 2023]
By David Ljunggren
OTTAWA (Reuters) -At least 15 people were killed in the Canadian prairie
province of Manitoba on Thursday after a semi-trailer truck hit a small
bus that was carrying a group of mainly elderly people, police said.
The crash is one of the most lethal road accidents in recent Canadian
history.
The crash occurred at the junction of two major roads near the town of
Carberry in southwestern Manitoba, 170 km (105 miles) west of Winnipeg.
The bus passengers had been on their way to a casino in Carberry, CBC
News reported, citing a casino spokesperson.
"We've been able to establish that at least 15 people have been
confirmed deceased as a result of this collision," said Assistant
Commissioner Rob Hill, who commands the Manitoba Royal Canadian Mounted
Police.
Hill told a televised news conference that "sadly, this is a day in
Manitoba and across Canada that will be remembered as one of tragedy and
incredible sadness."
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The bus had been carrying about 25 people, most of them elderly, he
said.
Ten other people were being treated in hospital. Police said the drivers
of both vehicles were alive, and declined to say who might have been
responsible for the crash.
Media reports initially identified the vehicle as a van rather than a
bus. They said it was operated by Handi-Transit, which transports the
elderly and those with disabilities.
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![](../images/061623PIX/news_k4.jpg)
Police secures the area at the crash
scene near Carberry, Manitoba, Canada June 15, 2023 in this still
image obtained from a social media video. PortageOnline/Mike Blume/via
REUTERS
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Jun/16/images/ads/current/businessdirectory_dailycover_2023.png)
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation showed a still photo of a
white minivan-sized vehicle that had been burned out. It also showed
a picture of a blue truck with a smashed-in front.
Wheelchairs and crumpled walkers remained near tarpaulins covering
bodies at the site, the Winnipeg Free Press said.
In a tweet, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he sent 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 said.
"My heart breaks hearing the news of the tragic accident near
Carberry," Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson said on Twitter.
In neighboring Saskatchewan, 16 people died in April 2018 after a
truck hit a bus transporting a junior hockey team on a rural road.
The truck driver was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2019.
The worst traffic accident in Canadian history occurred in 1997 when
a bus carrying seniors plunged into a ravine in the province of
Quebec, killing 44 people.
(Reporting by David Ljunggren in OttawaAdditional reporting by
Ismail Shakil in Ottawa and Nia Williams in British Columbia;Editing
by Sandra Maler, Matthew Lewis and Grant McCool)
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