A data centre company says a bus chartered by one of its contractors crashed early Wednesday in northern British Columbia, prompting two area hospitals to declare Code Orange protocols to deal with the mass-casualty event.
First responders were called to the scene along Highway 39, south of the community of Mackenzie, where police say about 20 people were hurt, some seriously, after the bus left the roadway.
The B.C. Highway Patrol says officers were called to the single-vehicle collision about four kilometres south of Mackenzie at around 9:10 a.m.
“When police arrived, they found a northbound white shuttle bus in a ditch and about 20 passengers and the driver with injuries ranging from minor to serious,” Sgt. Michael McLaughlin said in a statement.
“This was a chaotic scene, and police will need time to sort out many of the details,” he added.
A spokesperson for IREN, a multinational data centre company with facilities in Mackenzie and Prince George, said the firm is in close contact with emergency responders as they work to establish what caused the incident.
“Our immediate concern is for everyone on board and their families, and we are supporting the response however we can,” the spokesperson said in an email.
“The safety of site personnel and community members remains our top priority, both on and off site.”
‘Nothing has been ruled out’
A spokesperson for the Northern Health authority said the Mackenzie and District Hospital and the University Hospital of Northern B.C. in Prince George both declared a Code Orange as they prepared to receive the victims.
“We do not have details to share at this time about the number of patients involved, or their conditions,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
Residents were asked to avoid both hospital emergency departments “for all but life-threatening emergency needs at this time.”
Cpl. Brett Urano of the B.C. RCMP said several ambulances, including air assets, were called to the scene.
B.C. Emergency Health Services confirmed paramedics responded to the 11300 block of Highway 39 Wednesday morning.
“Multiple ambulance resources have been dispatched, including air ambulances,” the agency said. “More information will be provided when it becomes available.”
The B.C. Highway Patrol is asking anyone who saw or recorded video of the bus prior to the crash to contact investigators.
“No arrests have been made but the cause of the crash is still uncertain,” the highway patrol statement said. “Nothing has been ruled out.”
Highway 39 was expected to remain closed for several hours as emergency personnel tended to the victims and investigators examined the scene.
“We ask the public to avoid the area and allow emergency personnel the space they need to safely respond to this incident,” Urano said.
Traffic information agency DriveBC urged drivers to use caution along detour routes around the area.
A social media post from Mackenzie Secondary School said the crash did not involve any of its buses but a school bus had been sent to the area to provide support and assistance.
“However, this bus is not involved in the incident,” the school said, adding all its students are safe.
