Two people are in serious condition. The accident happened on the evening of December 24 in British Columbia, Western Canada.
More than 50 people were admitted to hospitals across western Canada on Saturday after a bus crash on a highway on New Year’s Eve in British Columbia, according to local authorities.
The causes of the accident remain unknown at a time when this province has been affected for a week by warnings of winter storms which have brought a lot of snow, including in the area where the accident occurred, a 3-hour drive from east of Vancouver.
The 52 victims were admitted to four different hospitals, the regional health authority, Interior Health, indicating on Twitter that it had mobilized staff in the intensive care sectors. “Upon arrival, 36 patients were assessed and treated for injuries ranging from serious to minor,” Interior Health said in a statement late Sunday.
This Sunday morning, eight patients were still hospitalized. Two are in serious condition, the management added.
“Our thoughts are with those affected by the accident, their loved ones, as well as first responders and caregivers,” British Columbia Premier David Eby said in a statement, saying he was “under the shocked and saddened” by the news.
A series of storms
Canada faces a series of winter storms that affect the country from east to west. In Ontario, extreme conditions derailed a freight train on Saturday, causing all trains between Toronto and Ottawa and Toronto and Montreal to be canceled for Christmas Day.
Before this incident, the fall of a tree on a locomotive and power outages had already caused significant delays in the night from Friday to Saturday. Several passengers between Ottawa and Toronto had to wait nearly 6 p.m., while some even left en route.
