Close X
Thursday, October 24, 2024
ADVT 
National

One dead, another missing after Vancouver Island road washout

Darpan News Desk IANS, 21 Oct, 2024 01:13 PM
  • One dead, another missing after Vancouver Island road washout
 

Police on the west coast of Vancouver Island say one person has been found dead and another is missing after a road washout near Bamfield. 

RCMP in Port Alberni say a truck was found fully submerged in the Sarita River Saturday night after a "washout," and the body of the driver was later found nearby.

The Mounties say a second vehicle has also been found in the river, and it's believed the other missing person is inside, while search and rescue personnel are waiting for an opportunity to conduct a swift-water recovery.

They say one of the drivers was travelling from Bamfield to Victoria and the other was driving from Port Alberni to Bamfield, and both were reported missing Saturday evening when they failed to arrive at their destinations.

The death comes after police in Coquitlam say a 57-year-old woman was found dead Sunday when her home was swept away in a mudslide caused by record-setting rain that drenched British Columbia's south coast over the weekend.

Coquitlam RCMP say officers responded to the slide near Pinecone Burke Provincial Park midday on Saturday, and found one home had been "swept away."

On Vancouver Island, RCMP say they used cellphone towers to locate one of the missing drivers within a three kilometre radius of the 58-kilometre mark of Bamfield Road.

A helicopter was deployed, along with Alberni Valley Search and Rescue, but it was a family member of the missing driver who spotted the truck just before 9 p.m.

RCMP say the darkness and fast-flowing water prevented emergency personnel from confirming whether the vehicle was occupied, and the body of the missing driver was later found a short distance away.

Environment Canada figures show Coquitlam was among the hardest hit by the rain over the weekend, receiving 256 millimetres between Friday and Sunday night.

RCMP say they have notified the family of the mudslide victim, but would not provide more details about the slide and its "deeply tragic" outcome.

MORE National ARTICLES

New housing to be expedited

New housing to be expedited
18 BC communities are among 30 across Canada to reach agreements with the federal government to fast-track the construction of new housing. Ottawa is providing 68 million dollars to support the plans.

New housing to be expedited

Jasper bus tour registration open, limited to evacuees with damaged homes

Jasper bus tour registration open, limited to evacuees with damaged homes
Wildfire evacuees from Jasper, Alta., whose homes were destroyed or damaged last week, were able to start registering online Friday for bus tours of the burned townsite. However, when the tours would take place was still undecided.

Jasper bus tour registration open, limited to evacuees with damaged homes

Water behind B.C. landslide is more likely to move over top than burst: minister

Water behind B.C. landslide is more likely to move over top than burst: minister
The minister said there's no timeline on when the water will start flowing, and "current modelling" shows that overtopping of the dam is more likely than a sudden break. They estimate it will take 12 to 24 hours for water and debris from the dam to reach Hope, B.C., about 500 kilometres south of the massive landslide.

Water behind B.C. landslide is more likely to move over top than burst: minister

Brazen sexual assault in Surrey

Brazen sexual assault in Surrey
Mounties in Surrey are warning the public and appealing for information after what they describe as a "brazen" sexual assault at a community centre. The R-C-M-P say they responded to the report on Wednesday morning at the Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre.

Brazen sexual assault in Surrey

Firearms seizure after video surfaces of people dancing with guns

Firearms seizure after video surfaces of people dancing with guns
Police in Metro Vancouver say they have seized several firearms after a video appeared online showing a group of people dancing with guns. Surrey R-C-M-P say they became aware of the video yesterday and they were able to confirm the address of the property where it was allegedly filmed. 

Firearms seizure after video surfaces of people dancing with guns

Homicide in Langley

Homicide in Langley
Mounties in Langley say one man is dead and another is recovering in hospital after an overnight shooting that's believed to be an isolated incident. R-C-M-P say they received a report of gunshots in area along 202 Street near 72 Avenue just after midnight.

Homicide in Langley