Four people died and several were injured in a bus crash on a highway in British Columbia on New Year’s Eve, local authorities said on Sunday.
A total of 53 people were taken to four hospitals in the western Canadian province, 36 of whom were treated “for serious to minor injuries,” said Interior Health, the regional health agency.
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Eight more people were hospitalized as of Sunday morning, including two in critical condition. According to the federal police commissioned with the investigation, there is every indication that the “extremely icy road” led to the bus overturning.
British Columbia has been hit by winter storm warnings for the past week that have brought heavy snowfall, including to the area where the crash occurred, a three-hour drive east of Vancouver. “Our thoughts are with those affected by the accident, their families and first responders and carers,” British Columbia Premier David Eby said in a statement, saying he was “shocked and saddened” by the news.
A house covered in snow during a winter storm near Wainfleet, Ontario, Canada December 24, 2022. CARLOS OSORIO/ Portal
Canada has been facing a series of winter storms since Friday, hitting the country from west to east. In Ontario, extreme conditions derailed a freight train on Saturday, canceling all trains between Toronto and Ottawa and Toronto and Montreal for Christmas Day. Prior to this accident, a tree falling on a locomotive and power outages had already caused major delays on Friday night, with some passengers waiting between Ottawa and Toronto around 6 p.m.