RCMP say 15 people are dead and 10 are injured after a bus carrying seniors to a casino crashed with a semi truck on the Trans-Canada Highway near Carberry, Man., on Thursday.
Here are the latest developments (all times CT):Â
9 p.m.
A moment of silence was held ahead of the Canadian Football League game between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Saskatchewan Roughriders for those killed in Manitoba's bus crash.
Both provinces have suffered through devastating crashes.
Thursday's crash between a transport truck and a bus carrying seniors to a casino near Carberry, Man., killed 15 people.
Sixteen died in 2018 when a truck went through a stop sign and into the path of a bus carrying the Humboldt Bruncos junior hockey team in Saskatchewan.
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7:15 p.m.
Brian Schoonbaert, CEO of Prairie Mountain Health, says communities that the Manitoba health region serves have been thrust into the most tragic and surreal circumstances imaginable.
He says in a statement that there are no words to cover the enormity of the bus crash.
He says he sends sympathies on behalf of the region's staff and board to those impacted by the disaster.
Schoonbaert says the days to come will be unquestionably difficult for many.
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6 p.m.
David Chartrand, president of the Manitoba Métis Federation, is extending his condolences to the victims of the bus crash.
He says it's unclear whether any Métis families have been impacted, but the federation is ready to offer its full support.
Chartrand says the loss of seniors or elders and their love, knowledge and guidance is heartbreaking.
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5:20 p.m.
Minibuses and handivans are essential means of travel for senior citizens in the small towns of Manitoba.
Greg Shaw, who is a driver with the Neepawa District Handi Transit, says he is more cautious when driving senior citizens.
He says handivans carrying seniors are accompanied by an overseer, who makes sure passengers are strapped in properly.
Most small communities in Manitoba have their own handivans, which are often run by local municipalities or private companies.
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4:45 p.m.
At a news conference, RCMP say dashcam video shows the bus pulled into the highway lane where the transport truck had the right-of-way.
They say further tests need to be done on the truck and the bus before responsibility can be determined.
Supt. Rob Lasson says officers have spoken with the truck driver, who has been released from hospital, but have yet to speak to the driver of the bus, who was injured and is still receiving medical care.Â
They say the people on the bus ranged in age from 58 to 88.
Nineteen women were on the bus and six men, and six of the survivors are women and four are men.Â
Identifications of the dead are expected to take some time because of the extent of the facial injuries they suffered.
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4:15 p.m.
The federal labour minister says his department is investigating the deadly bus crash in Manitoba.
Seamus O'Regan says such investigations happen when a federally regulated employer is involved and the findings may help determine what happened and what might have been prevented.
O'Regan says his heart is with those who lost loved ones on the bus.
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4:10 p.m.
Manitoba's minister of seniors and long-term care is sending condolences to everyone devastated by the bus crash.
Scott Johnston has posted on social media that he will monitor and support all those who are doing everything they can to help.
He says he salutes first responders, police and health-care workers who play a critical role in such disasters.
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3:25 p.m.
Three seniors involved in the bus crash are tenants of St. George's Place, a retirement home in Dauphin, Man.
Milton Mykolaishyn with the home says staff are not sure of their condition and are waiting for updates from family.
He says the three seniors are known as active members of the retirement home's community, and everyone is in shock.
He says a priest is on site talking with other residents, especially those who were supposed to be on the bus Thursday but had to cancel because of medical appointments.
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1:35 p.m.
The CN Tower in Toronto is set to dim its lights for five minutes at the top of every hour tonight to honour the victims of the Manitoba bus crash.
The tower lights up every night at sunset to honour major Canadian cultural moments, charities and special causes.
It previously lit up in the Humboldt Broncos colours following the junior hockey team's deadly bus crash in Saskatchewan in 2018.
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12:40 p.m.
Police, health officials and community leaders in western Manitoba are looking to Saskatchewan for their experience in handling deadly bus crashes.
Dr. Rob Grierson, a chief medical officer with Manitoba Shared Health, says emergency responders and air ambulance crews have learned a lot from the 2018 Humboldt Broncos crash in Saskatchewan.
RCMP Supt. Rob Lasson says Manitoba officers have also linked with Saskatchewan investigators who looked at the Broncos crash.Â
Rob Muench, a city councillor who was Humboldt mayor at the time of the Broncos disaster, says he and the city have reached out to counterparts in Dauphin.
He says they’ve shared information that will hopefully help the Manitoba city prepare for what’s to come.Â
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12:15 p.m.
Health officials say six of 10 seniors injured in the bus crash are in critical condition in hospital.
They say the other four in hospital are being cared for in a surgical unit.
The patients range in age from their early 60s to late 80s and are being treated for a variety of serious injuries.
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11:00 a.m.
The company that owns the bus involved in the deadly crash is extending its deepest sympathies to families and friends of its clients.
Quality Care Transit, which is based out of Dauphin, Man., issued a statement on Facebook saying Thursday's fiery crash is a heart-wrenching situation.
It says its heart aches for all involved.
The bus carrying 25 people left Dauphin on Thursday morning and was headed for a casino near Carberry, west of Winnipeg.
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10:30 a.m.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the flag will fly at half-mast on the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in honour of the Manitoba crash victims.
He says he can't imagine what families are going through.
Trudeau also says it brings back terrible memories of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in Saskatchewan in 2018 that left 16 dead and 13 injured.
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8:45 a.m.Â
Brad Michaleski, the legislature member for Dauphin, says it will be hard to find anybody in the western Manitoba community who isn't directly affected by the deadly bus crash, or doesn't know someone who is.Â
He says the city of 8,600 and surrounding region is a tight-knit community.Â
Michaleski says it's a shocking tragedy and people are trying to get a handle on its magnitude.
Flags are also flying at half-mast at city hall, and an electronic billboard downtown shows a lit candle with the words #dauphinstrong next to it.
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3:03 a.m.Â
The Manitoba government says on Twitter that all lanes of the Trans-Canada Highway near Highway 5 have reopened to traffic.
RCMP say it appears the bus was crossing the Trans-Canada, heading south on Highway 5 when it was struck Thursday morning.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2023.Â
The Canadian Press
