Three people died and several were injured after a Canadian glacier tour bus capsized in a national park on Saturday, according to authorities.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said the glacier tour bus rolled into one of the Rocky Mountain’s most popular attractions, the Columbia Icefield in Alberta’s Jasper National Park, early Saturday afternoon.
Alberta Health Services said on Twitter that a total of 24 patients were transported to hospitals in Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Hinton and Calgary after the “tragic accident.”
“Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to the families and loved ones of the deceased, and to all patients affected by this tragedy,” AHS tweeted.
2 VESSELS FOUND FRONTWHILE TRAVELING THROUGH THE CANAL IN CANADA, VIDEO SHOWN
Of those sent to hospitals, 14 were transported in critical and life-threatening conditions. The others were reported to be in stable condition.
Several people died and more than a dozen people were seriously injured when a glacier tour bus rolled into one of the Rocky Mountain’s most popular attractions, the Columbia Icefield, on Saturday afternoon.
(Jeff McIntosh / The Canadian Press via AP)
Vanja Krtolica, who witnessed the incident, told the Globe and Mail newspaper that the rollover occurred around 2 p.m. after the vehicle lost control while driving on an access road.
“Suddenly everyone started screaming because they saw the coach lose control,” he told the newspaper. “He was going down that 33 degree slope … steep hill and he lost control.”
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police attends the scene of a tourist bus overturn in the Columbia Icefields near Jasper, Alta, on Sunday, July 19, 2020.
(Jeff McIntosh / The Canadian Press via AP)
Tanya Otis with Pursuit, a company that tours the Athabasca Glacier, told CBC News that one of her Ice Explorer SUVs capsized on the way to the glacier.
“We will provide additional details as they become available,” Otis said. “Our immediate concern is with the wounded and their families and we are supporting the efforts of the first responders.”
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Alberta Prime Minister Jason Kenney said he was “sad” to learn of the accident and thanked emergency workers for responding.
“Prayers for everyone involved in the incident,” he tweeted.
RCMP told CBC News that they are investigating the cause of the rollover with the support of a collision analyst.
