Emergency crews were called to a remote forest service road north of Prince George, B.C., Friday where a charter bus carrying about 30 resource industry workers rolled over.
The crash happened just after 8 a.m. about an hour and a half north of Prince George on the Firth Lake Forest Service Road near Hambone Road. according to Prince George RCMP.
Police said the remote location, early morning rain and road conditions had challenged emergency responders.
The University Hospital of Northern BC in Prince George was placed on “Code Orange” mass casualty footing in response for about four hours, and people were temporarily asked to avoid the emergency room unless they were experiencing a life-threatening emergency.
BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) said seven ground ambulances from Prince George and Mackenzie have been deployed and that multiple people were transported to hospital in a “wide range” of conditions.
Northern Health confirmed that 18 patients were being treated at the hospital.
Initial triage at the scene had suggested several people were in critical condition, Northern Health spokesperson Eryn Collins said, however further assessment at hospital determined seven were in “fair” condition and 11 were in “good condition.”
Seventeen patients have since been discharged, according to Coastal GasLink, which confirmed the bus was on its way to one of its camps.
In an emailed statement, TC Energy which owns the Coastal GasLink pipeline confirmed the bus was carrying workers employed by its camp provider.
“We are grateful for the support and care of those individuals, and that this did not result in a more serious accident,” the company said.
“Any incident where workers or the community are involved is not something we take lightly.”
It remains unclear what caused the bus to crash.
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