KOOTENAY, B.C. — Police say the driver of a tanker truck was killed and a "significant" amount of fuel was spilled in a single-vehicle crash on Wednesday night.
RCMP Cpl. Mike Halskov says the two-tanker truck was carrying gasoline and diesel, and the tankers ruptured as a result of the crash.
RCMP investigators were called to the crash scene on Highway 3 at 8:20 p.m. on Wednesday.
Drive BC says the bottom of Kootenay Pass was closed in both directions and is expected to open Friday.
Investigators say they were hampered by the fuel spill in the Salmo River but determined the driver of the vehicle, who was from Alberta, had died.
Police say environmental emergency response is assessing the situation and will determine when it is safe for the police to enter the area and resume the investigation.
Interior Health says the incident resulted in fuel contamination in the South Salmo River but there is a low risk to public health.
The agency is asking residents who get their water from the river between the bottom of Kootenay Pass and the Salmo River at the United States border to check their water for any signs of diesel fuel including sheen or fuel odour.
They are also asking people not to use the water for recreational purposes.