Canada Casino Trip Turns Fatal for 15 People

Posted on: June 16, 2023, 02:32h. 

Last updated on: June 16, 2023, 11:42h.

Erik Gibbs Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Gaming Business, Global Gaming.

What should have been another routine trip to a casino turned tragic for a group of senior citizens in Canada on Thursday. A crash between a semi and a bus resulted in a massive loss of life.

Emergency vehicles on the scene of a deadly crash in Canada
Emergency vehicles on the scene of a deadly crash in Canada. 15 people on their way to a casino died when their bus collided with a tractor-trailer. (Image: Associated Press)

The crash occurred in Carberry, a city located 170 kilometers west of Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba. Initial reports indicated that the accident left 15 dead and another 10 injured.

Local authorities are investigating the events that occurred, and at the moment, it’s unknown what caused the collision. Similarly, the names of those who lost their lives were not revealed to the media.

Unexpected Disaster

Carberry is a rural area of Manitoba, home to only about 1,738 people, according to a government census. As such, its road infrastructure isn’t as advanced as that of other, more developed areas.

Rob Hill, the assistant commissioner of Manitoba’s division of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), said there were 25 people on the bus. He confirmed that Manitoba authorities were using all their resources to assist in the tragedy. The 10 seniors injured were transported to area hospitals, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

The accident occurred on the Trans-Canada highway, which connects the eastern end of the country with the Pacific coast. The bus was reportedly taking the group to a casino in Carberry. If so, the most likely option would have been the Sand Hills Casino, the only one in the immediate vicinity.

Reporters from area TV stations were on the scene soon after the accident, broadcasting footage of the wreckage. In one broadcast, there appeared to be a bus that had caught fire after landing in a ditch, and it was still burning during the coverage. In another shot, the semi can be seen, its engine compartment ripped open and its motor lying separately on the highway.

The AP report showed seven blue or yellow tarps in various locations along the road, assumedly covering bodies. According to RCMP Superintendent Rob Lasson, the drivers of both vehicles survived and were being treated at a hospital.

Investigation Underway

Lasson provided some details about the accident, although the final explanation is dependent on the investigation. He said the bus was traveling on the southbound side of the highway and approaching an intersection. As it crossed, the semi, reportedly traveling east, hit it.

It’s still unclear who had the right of way, although that detail will be determined in the investigation. The results won’t provide any relief to the relatives of the victims, but will determine who is liable. Based on similar accidents in the past, one of the two drivers may find himself in legal trouble.

In April 2018, a semi and bus collided on a rural road in Saskatchewan, Canada. The bus was carrying hockey players of the Humboldt Broncos, a junior ice hockey team, and the crash resulted in the deaths of 16 players and team members.

Three months later, police charged the driver of the semi, Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, in the accident after they determined that he failed to stop at an intersection. He received a sentence of eight years in prison.