Fifteen people have died and an additional 10 were injured in a “mass casualty collision” on Thursday near Carberry, Manitoba, in Canada, per local police.
Hill said that the victims have yet to be publicly identified.
PEOPLE has reached out to Royal Canadian Mounted Police division in Manitoba for comment and further updates on the tragedy.
Bus and semi-truck crash tragedy in Canada.NIRMESH VADERA/AFP via Getty Images
NIRMESH VADERA/AFP via Getty Images
Addressing the families, Hill stated, “To all those waiting, I can’t imagine how difficult it is not knowing if the person you love most is making it home tonight.”
“A tragedy of this magnitude requires strong partnerships,” Hill continued. “I want to thank the countless first responders and supporting agencies that quickly attended the collision to do all they could to help those in need.”
Added Hill in the report, which was also translated in French, “Our deepest condolences to all those who have been affected.”
“Our thoughts are with the community of Dauphin and all of Manitoba,” he said.
Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, expressed his condolences on Twitter.
“The news from Carberry, Manitoba is incredibly tragic,” hetweeted on Thursday. “I’m sending my deepest condolences to those who lost loved ones today, and I’m keeping the injured in my thoughts.”
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Added Trudeau, 51, “I cannot imagine the pain those affected are feeling — but Canadians are here for you.”
RCMP Sptd. Rob Lasson noted in thepress conferencethat “as of right now the drivers of both the bus and truck drivers are alive and in the hospital,” and stated that those deceased were mostly seniors.
A spokesperson for the Sands Hill Casino told theAssociated Pressthat the group had been scheduled to arrive later on Thursday. The outlet also reported that flags at the Manitoba legislature have been lowered to half-staff.
Eyewitness Nirmesh Vadera told the AP that he was working at a business along the highway and saw a truck with a “smashed engine” on the highway and “the bus was on fire in the grass on the side of the road.” First responders were “trying to get people out of the burning vehicle,” he added.
BBCnoted that air ambulances assisted in the crash.
“The public is reeling and asking a lot of questions and people are trying to determine if their loved ones were involved,” Lasson said. “Death on this scale is never normalized for us.”
source: people.com
