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

Fatal shooting in Richmond

Police say one person is dead after a shooting in Richmond over the weekend. Richmond R-C-M-P say officers were called to the area of Cooney and Anderson roads on Sunday just before 5 a-m to investigate reports of shots being fired.

Fatal shooting in Richmond

Environment Canada warns B.C. coast to prepare for heavy winds, some rain

Rain and a wind storm are expected for much of British Columbia's coast, bringing gusts as strong as 110 kilometres per hour. Environment Canada warnings cover both northern and eastern Vancouver Island, as well as Victoria, portions of the Sunshine Coast and Haida Gwaii.

Environment Canada warns B.C. coast to prepare for heavy winds, some rain

Funding for Firefighters: BC Gov

British Columbia is providing more money to rural, First Nations and volunteer fire departments across the province to help upgrade equipment and training. The announcement includes 1.75-million-dollars for the Fire Chiefs' Association of B-C to provide fire training for rural and First Nations fire departments.

Funding for Firefighters: BC Gov

'Damaged' India-Canada relations getting traction in Chinese media

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had told his country’s lawmakers on Monday that Canada is probing “credible allegations” of Indian government's involvement in the killing of pro-Khalistani leader and Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18. The Indian government has strongly denied the allegations, calling them "absurd".

'Damaged' India-Canada relations getting traction in Chinese media

Diplomatic fallout: Number of Indian students going to Canada may drop

Given the current situation between India and Canada, there may be a drop in the number of Indian students going to Canada for higher studies, said a consultant with Star Global Education Alliance. According to Veeravalli, there is a general sense of uneasiness in Canada among the students who are expecting some kind of retaliation by the Canadians.

Diplomatic fallout: Number of Indian students going to Canada may drop

COVID19 infections back in the fall

Public health officials say new COVID-19 infections are creeping back up just as the respiratory virus season in the fall and winter is set to get underway. Ottawa is sending a new COVID vaccine out to the provinces and territories, which are in charge of rolling it out to the public.