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A large section of the Trans Canada Highway in Western Manitoba is being considered a crime scene following a collision Thursday morning between a tractor-trailer unit and a bus carrying 25 people, most of them seniors.
Manitoba RCMP have confirmed 15 passengers on the bus were killed in the collision with a further 10 taken to hospital with serious injuries.
According to officials most of the passengers inside the bus were from Dauphin and its surrounding areas.
This prompted a Code Orange or mass casualty incident in the province, which was declared over shortly after 4:00 p.m. local time.
The Mounties say the collision occurred shortly before noon local time at the intersection of Highway 1 and Highway 5 near Carberry, two hours west of Winnipeg.
The investigation remains in its early stages but police say the tractor-trailer unit was eastbound on Highway 1, while the bus was southbound on Highway 5.
The RCMP’s Major Crimes Unit has taken over the investigation of the collision, which during a press conference late Thursday evening, the Mounties say is eerily reminiscent of Humboldt.
The bus had already crossed the westbound lanes of the highway when it was struck by the semi.
Politicians are already weighing in on the tragedy on social media, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The news from Carberry, Manitoba is incredibly tragic. I’m sending my 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 – but Canadians are here for you.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 15, 2023