MACKENZIE, B.C. - BC Highway Patrol is asking witnesses and motorists with dash camera footage to come forward as investigators work to determine what caused a serious shuttle bus crash south of Mackenzie that left about 20 people injured, some of them seriously.
Police say the single-vehicle crash happened around 9:10 a.m. Wednesday on Highway 39, about four kilometres south of Mackenzie.
Officers arrived to find a northbound white shuttle bus in a ditch with approximately 20 passengers and the driver suffering injuries ranging from minor to serious.
Multiple ground and air ambulances were deployed to transport the injured for treatment.
The bus was chartered by a contractor for IREN, which operates a data centre in Mackenzie. A company spokesperson said its immediate concern is for those involved and their families.
“Our immediate concern is for everyone on board and their families, and we are supporting the response however we can. We are in close contact with the contractor, emergency responders and the RCMP as they work to establish what happened,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that, “the safety of site personnel and community members remains our top priority, both on and off site.”
BC Highway Patrol says investigators are still in the early stages of determining what led to the crash.
“This was a chaotic scene, and police will need time to sort out many of the details,” said Sergeant Michael McLaughlin of BC Highway Patrol.“We need to speak with anyone who has dash camera video of the bus, or any witnesses who saw what was happening prior to the crash.”
Police say no arrests have been made and the cause of the crash remains unknown.
“Nothing has been ruled out,” McLaughlin said.
Northern Health says Mackenzie and District Hospital declared a Code Orange in response to the incident and asked residents to avoid the emergency department unless they require life-threatening emergency care.
A social media post from Mackenzie Secondary School said the bus involved was not a school bus and that all students are safe.
The school said one of its buses was dispatched to help support those affected by the crash.
Highway 39 was closed for several hours as emergency crews treated patients and RCMP collision analysts examined the scene.
Police say there were no alternate routes available during the closure.
Anyone who witnessed the bus before the crash or has dash camera footage is asked to contact BC Highway Patrol in Prince George at 250-649-4004 and quote file number (3100) 2026-956.