At least 10 dead after serious accident near Carberry, Man., says a source

At least 10 people have been killed after a serious accident between a semi-trailer truck and a Handi-Transit vehicle near the town of Carberry in southwestern Manitoba, a source tells CBC News.

A CBC reporter on the scene says several tarps are on the ground near where the collision occurred at the intersection of the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 5 just north of Carberry.

The Brandon Fire Department told CBC News that the accident involved a semi-trailer truck and a Handi-Transit vehicle.

RCMP said they will provide more details about the crash at a press conference with representatives from Shared Health and the county at 4:45 p.m. CT.

The response to the crash included 14 intensive care medical crew, two helicopters and two planes from the STARS (Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service) air ambulance service.

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STARS spokesperson Blake Robert said this is one of the service’s biggest reactions ever.

“This is more or less consistent with the similar major incidents that we’ve responded to in the past, like the Humboldt Broncos tragedy, the James Smith Cree Nation incident,” Robert said.

Robert did not know exactly how many people were being transported for medical care after STARS was called just after noon. The helicopters usually take patients to Winnipeg’s Health Sciences Center, he said.

A Shared Health spokesperson said mass casualty relief is underway, with several hospitals in Manitoba prepared to receive patients from the crash, including Health Sciences Center Winnipeg (HSC) and others in the Prairie Mountain and Winnipeg health regions.

Other patients may need to be moved to create capacity at HSC, the province’s largest hospital.

HSC’s emergency department, surgical and intensive care teams and the Brandon Regional Health Center are prepared for incoming patients, the spokesperson said in an email.

In both hospitals, rooms have been set up for families. Relatives seeking information from HSC are asked to contact the hospital’s switchboard at 204-787-3661 or 1-877-499-8774, while those seeking information from Brandon Hospital are asked to call 204-578- dial 4080.

‘Shocking’ crash aftermath

Westbound Highway 1 had reopened late Thursday afternoon.

A witness to the aftermath of the crash said he saw a burning vehicle in a ditch just after noon.

Jon Proven also noticed a nearby semi-trailer truck with a burnt front end and said the burning vehicle in the ditch resembled a van.

He saw about 20 police vehicles and seven or eight ambulances at the scene.

“I’ve never seen such a big accident,” Proven told CBC News in a telephone interview. “It’s a little shocking.”

Sherree Strain, who works at the Manitoba Crop Diversification Center just north of the crash site, said she and a group of downtown college students were shocked by what they saw in the aftermath of the crash.

“We sat and looked at it for a while,” Strain said. “I think they’ve had their crying.”

Manitoba RCMP said they deployed all available resources to the crash, with units from all over western Manitoba to assist, along with other first responders.

Major crime services will take over the investigation, Mounties said.

Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson said flags at the province’s Legislative Building were flown at half-mast out of respect for the victims of the crash.

“Our hearts are broken and our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of all lives affected by the horrific and devastating tragedy near the town of Carberry,” Stefanson said in a statement.