National

Highway 97C shut after truck with chemicals catches fire near West Kelowna

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 17 Nov, 2023 03:59 PM

Police say a portion of the Coquihalla Connecter outside West Kelowna, B.C., is closed after a commercial truck carrying chemicals caught fire.

West Kelowna RCMP say the eastbound lanes of Highway 97C were shut down Friday as fire crews doused the flames.

Police say the truck was about 20 kilometres outside West Kelowna when it caught fire, and battling the flames is "challenging" because of the chemicals the vehicle was carrying.

Footage and photos from the scene show the truck and roadway engulfed in flames and thick smoke billowing from the fire.

West Kelowna RCMP says drivers should avoid the area if they're travelling eastbound.

Police say the westbound lanes are still open, but the incident is expected to slow traffic as crews work to put out the fire then investigate its cause.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Fall sitting starts for B.C. legislature with four official parties

British Columbia politicians are back in the legislature for the fall session, and the seating arrangement looks a little different. The Conservative Party of B.C. now has official party status, complete with a nearly $400,000 annual budget, after former BC United MLA Bruce Banman crossed the floor last month to join John Rustad.

Fall sitting starts for B.C. legislature with four official parties

Federal ministers still lack mandate letters, two months after majority shuffled

Shortly after taking office in 2015, Trudeau's government announced it would publish the lists of tasks given to each minister, known as mandate letters. The documents lay out the priorities for each federal minister, and signal to public servants the timeline or scope of policies the government wants to advance.

Federal ministers still lack mandate letters, two months after majority shuffled

19-year-old clocked going 199 km on North Van highway

R-C-M-P in North Vancouver say a lead-footed driver with a learners licence is a lot poorer -- and less mobile -- today after making a bad choice on Friday night. Mounties say the 19-year-old was clocked doing 199 kilometres per hour in an 80-kilometre per hour zone along the Upper Levels Highway through North Van.

19-year-old clocked going 199 km on North Van highway

Interest rates to stay high

Experts are warning the next few years will likely see sharp mortgage payment increases amid expectations that interest rates will stay higher for longer. Variable rate mortgage holders have already seen their payments surge by more than 49 per cent on average, according to Bank of Canada data, but many fixed rate holders still haven't felt the sharp rise in rates.

Interest rates to stay high

Who will become Manitoba's next premier? A look at party leaders vying for the job

Manitoba's provincial election is to take place Tuesday. Here's a look at the leaders of the province's three parties that have seats in the legislature.

Who will become Manitoba's next premier? A look at party leaders vying for the job

Diwali fireworks advisory issued despite warnings it might be discriminatory: emails

An Environment Canada advisory that singled out Diwali fireworks as a reason to prepare for poor air quality last October was issued despite multiple warnings from some staff about it being discriminatory. The advisory was edited and an apology issued within hours as complaints poured in to the national weather service the morning the annual Indian festival of lights was set to begin.