Close X
Tuesday, November 26, 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

Weather and luck help B.C. wildfire situation, but drought and risks persist

Weather and luck help B.C. wildfire situation, but drought and risks persist
Though the wildfire season in B.C. this year has been less intense than last year's record destruction, drought conditions persist in many regions and the situation could worsen, Emergency Minister Bowinn Ma has warned. More than 350 wildfires are burning across B.C., 18 properties have been ordered evacuated and 1,600 properties are on evacuation alert, meaning residents must be ready to leave at short notice.

Weather and luck help B.C. wildfire situation, but drought and risks persist

Rail strike would halt B.C.'s West Coast Express commuter train, says TransLink

Rail strike would halt B.C.'s West Coast Express commuter train, says TransLink
The operator of British Columbia's commuter train that shuttles thousands of people across the Lower Mainland says it won't be able to run if a strike halts Canada's two biggest railways this week. Metro Vancouver transport provider TransLink says the West Coast Express operates on rail owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. and can't run without that company's dispatchers and railworkers.

Rail strike would halt B.C.'s West Coast Express commuter train, says TransLink

Canada pledges $5.7M in humanitarian aid for Ukraine, with focus on children

Canada pledges $5.7M in humanitarian aid for Ukraine, with focus on children
International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen says Canada will provide $5.7 million for Ukrainians to meet their basic needs. Ottawa says it's maintaining solidarity with Ukraine two-and-a-half years into Russia's full-scale invasion as Hussen visits Kyiv.

Canada pledges $5.7M in humanitarian aid for Ukraine, with focus on children

Multiple Jewish organizations, hospitals across Canada receive identical bomb threats

Multiple Jewish organizations, hospitals across Canada receive identical bomb threats
Police in multiple cities across Canada are responding to bomb threats that were sent to Jewish organizations, synagogues and some hospitals this morning.  B'nai Brith Canada says more than 100 Jewish institutions received an identical email at 5 a.m. ET threatening explosions including at their offices in Toronto and Montreal.

Multiple Jewish organizations, hospitals across Canada receive identical bomb threats

Grizzly bear cubs seen on Vancouver Island for first time could have big impact

Grizzly bear cubs seen on Vancouver Island for first time could have big impact
When wildlife photographer Catherine Babault captured images of a female grizzly bear with two cubs encountering a herd of elk on Vancouver Island last month, she knew she had witnessed something special.

Grizzly bear cubs seen on Vancouver Island for first time could have big impact

Man charged in alleged assault

Man charged in alleged assault
Police say a man has been charged after an alleged assault last month where the victim reported waking up to a strange man groping her in her home. Surrey RCMP say they responded to the report at about 3:15 a-m on July 20th and the victim told officers that the suspect ran away when she screamed for help.

Man charged in alleged assault