Three individuals were killed and numerous more were injured in a tour vehicle accident in Jasper National Park on Saturday, according to emergency personnel. According to a police news release on Saturday, Jasper RCMP collaborated with other emergency personnel at a rocky, steep area close to the Columbia Icefield and Highway 93. A minimum of one eyewitness stated that the vehicle might have been carried away when a portion of the private road that led to the Athabasca glacier collapsed.
According to RCMP, the rollover claimed three lives. AHS released a statement late on Saturday stating that 24 patients were admitted to the hospital, 14 of whom had critical or life-threatening conditions. Six were in stable conditions, while four were in a serious but stable state. When the car rolled, there were 27 people inside. Travelers are taken onto the Athabasca Glacier by the local tour operator, Pursuit. At 2:09 p.m., an Ice Explorer off-road vehicle overturned while traveling to the glacier, according to spokeswoman Tanya Otis. “We’ll update you with further information when it becomes available. Otis stated, “We are helping first responders in their efforts and our immediate concern is with the injured and their families.
As per Pursuit’s website, the Ice Explorer has a maximum capacity of 56 persons. Their dimensions are 3.61 meters in width, 13.61 meters in length, and 3.86 meters in height. The tour trucks are painted red and white with a Canadian flag motif, and they feature big monster truck-style tires. Several fire units, EMS, and the STARS air ambulance arrived at the scene. Teams from Parks Canada were also there.
STARS verified that three helicopters were dispatched to the rollover site. According to spokeswoman Fatima Khawaja, they took one patient to a medical facility in Calgary and two others to hospitals in Edmonton. A 31-year-old male was brought in serious, possibly fatal condition to the University of Alberta hospital. A middle-aged woman was brought to Calgary’s Foothills Medical Centre in critical, possibly fatal condition. A critical but stable condition was brought to the Royal Alexandra Hospital by a 27-year-old lady. Patients were transferred to several hospitals in Edmonton, Calgary, Grande Prairie, and Hinton, according to an AHS statement. EMS units from the following cities participated in the response: Edmonton, Calgary, Jasper, Nordegg, Banff, Canmore, Rocky Mountain House, Hinton, and Sundre.
The tour van is seen upside down in what looks to be a field of loose pebbles in photos of the accident that were submitted to Postmedia. There are at least 17 persons circling the bus who appear to be victims being evacuated. In addition, it looks like there are other individuals laying on the rocks beside the bus.
According to Rob Kanty, he was on a sightseeing bus when the accident occurred. He claimed that the entire scene is covered in moraine rock that has been pushed by glaciers. Kanty said on social media, “A section of road above the sno-coach just broke off and slid down, unfortunately taking a coach down with it.” The rollover was not caused by a landslide, according to emergency personnel. Earlier in the day, Angela Bye went on the same tour. About 2:30 p.m., she reported seeing the bus turned upside down. Two more buses, according to her, were still on the hill and were not damaged in the collision. Bye recalled, “It was right after the steepest part of the hill.” “It’s not the freeway.”
She added that there were a lot of police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks traveling to the location when she and her family started to return to Jasper at around three o’clock in the afternoon. While emergency personnel attempt to clear the area, police are requesting that the public avoid the area. The K Division collision analyst and the Jasper detachment are still looking into the incident, according to an updated news release from the RCMP. Highway 93 is still accessible. Premier Jason Kenney expressed his sadness via Twitter upon learning of the incident. He said his prayers are with everyone impacted and thanked the first responders for their efforts.
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