Nicola Valley Hospital among three hospitals treating dozens of victims from Christmas eve passenger bus crash

KAMLOOPS — Medical staff at three hospitals within B.C.’s Interior Health Authority are treating victims of a passenger bus crash that occurred Christmas Eve along the Okanagan Connector southeast of Merritt.

Interior Health says 53 patients were taken from the crash site near the Loon Lake exit along Highway 97C, to hospitals in nearby Merritt, Kelowna and Penticton. The extent of the injuries are unknown.

Interior Health declared a Code Orange to respond to the tragedy. According to a tweet from B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix, “the Code Orange activates staff in critical care areas such as the emergency department, medical imaging and surgery to support urgent patients.”

Interior Health has established an information line for families of the victims to help them locate their loved ones. Family members only should call an operator a 250-545-2211. Interior Health says callers will initially receive a recorded greeting before an operator will come on the line.

The bus crash occurred as the region was dealing with a winter storm that was threatening to deliver freezing rain.

RCMP closed the section of the Okanagan Connector while investigators completed their investigation. The road was reopened around 8:30 a.m. Sunday according to a tweet from DriveBC.

The government released a joint statement from Premier David Eby, Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, and Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Christmas eve. “Our thoughts are with those impacted by the crash, their loved ones, and the first responders and health-care workers giving their all to treat people and keep them safe.”