At least 15 dead in Canada highway collision

At least 15 people have died after a truck collided with a bus carrying senior citizens in a rural portion of Canada’s Manitoba province on Thursday afternoon, according to local authorities.

At least 15 people have died after a truck collided with a bus carrying senior citizens in a rural portion of Canada’s Manitoba province on Thursday afternoon, according to local authorities.

The bus was headed south on Highway 5 toward a casino near the town of Carberry, while the semitrailer was headed east on Highway 1, Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer Rob Lasson said in a news conference.

The semitrailer struck the bus at the intersection of the two highways north of Carberry, roughly 170 kilometers (105 miles) west of Winnipeg.

“Immediately it became apparent that this was a mass casualty situation,” Lasson said.

In addition to the 15 killed, 10 others have been taken to a hospital, authorities said. The drivers of the semitrailer and the bus are among those being treated, Lasson said.

Twelve ambulances responded to the collision scene, as well as an air ambulance, said Jennifer Cumpsty, executive director of Acute Health Services.