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 morning.
Here are the latest developments (all times CT):
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
He says the city of 8,600 and surrounding region is a tight-knit community.
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.
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.
Some reaction to the highway crash that killed 15 in Manitoba
Health authorities say six of 10 seniors who survived a bus crash in southern Manitoba that killed 15 others were listed in critical condition in hospital.
They were among a group of seniors from Dauphin, Man., on a day trip to a casino when their minibus crashed with a semi while crossing the Trans-Canada Highway.
Here is some of Friday's reaction:
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"I know that all of Canadians stand with people during this very, very difficult time. There are lots of questions, but mostly there are lots of tears right now and we will be there for each other." — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
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“You plan for this but you hope to not experience it, so it’s been a blur of stuff going on. It’s been an unending flurry of activity. Everyone’s on the same page and we’re connecting. We’ve received tremendous support.” — Dauphin, Man., Mayor David Bosiak.
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“This is an elderly cohort of patients, so recoveries will be long and, of course, can be complicated." — Dr. Shawn Young, chief operating officer of Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg.
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"We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to families and friends of our beloved clients and to our community as we work through this heart-wrenching situation." Quality Care Transit, which operated minibus involved in crash.
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“The Boulet family is absolutely gutted as news came out about the tragedy in Carberry that stole the lives of 15 beautiful people. Though comparisons between the Carberry tragedy and the Humboldt tragedy exist, our family is focused on lives of so many that are now without a loved one due to the Carberry tragedy. Pain is real. Grieving is real. Please reach out and ask for help as people are there for you," — Toby and Bernie Boulet, whose son Logan was among those killed in the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash.
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"It’s a number of things happening when you are probably least prepared for it, when you are trying to comprehend what really has happened and how it’s going to affect your community. You are doing this all at a time when people are grieving and trying to sort out their feelings of what has happened." — former Humboldt, Sask., mayor Rob Muench.
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"My heart is with those who lost a loved one in the collision near Carberry yesterday. The Labour Department is investigating. We do this when a federally regulated employer is involved. Their findings may help determine what happened and what might have been prevented." — federal Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan
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"I continue to monitor and support all those doing everything they can to aid our fellow Manitobans. I salute all our first responders, the police, firefighters, paramedics, STARS, doctors and nurses who always play such a critical role when devastating situations occur." — Manitoba Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Scott Johnston.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2023.
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