Close X
Sunday, January 12, 2025
ADVT 
National

Second mudslide victim's body found as more high winds strike B.C. coast

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 23 Dec, 2024 11:44 AM
  • Second mudslide victim's body found as more high winds strike B.C. coast

High winds are again hitting the coast of British Columbia, as gusts surpassing 100 km/h have been reported at several outlying islands.

The continuing stormy weather comes as police say emergency crews have recovered the body of a second victim killed in a mudslide in the Sea to Sky region during another windstorm last weekend.

Environment Canada says it has issued a wind warning for B.C.'s north and central coast including Haida Gwaii, northern and eastern Vancouver Island as well as parts of the Sunshine Coast, including Powell River.

The agency says winds in some areas may reach 120 km/h, presenting potentially hazardous driving conditions.

In response to the warnings, BC Ferries say a number of sailings in Haida Gwaii and the areas near Campbell River and Hornby Island were cancelled, although most crossings have resumed as conditions improve.

A weather advisory for Greater Victoria and the Southern Gulf Islands also warned of gusty winds in the area that may lead to power outages and disrupt travel plans.

Environment Canada data shows gusts reaching 140 km/h and beyond at Sartine and Solander islands off the northern coast of Vancouver Island today, while locations such as Sandspit and Masset in Haida Gwaii are reporting gusts of 90 km/h or above.

The frontal system that brought high winds to coastal B.C. this weekend also caused temperatures to spike in a number of communities, with Bella Bella, Prince Rupert, Qualicum Beach and West Vancouver all breaking decades-old high-temperature records on Saturday.

In response, Avalanche Canada has elevated the risk level to "considerable" for a number of alpine areas along B.C.'s coast, including most of Vancouver Island, much of the mountainous regions north of Metro Vancouver, as well as the area north of Kitimat to the provincial border with the Alaskan Panhandle.

The latest weather warnings come a day after winds exceeding 120 km/h pummeled B.C.'s central coast Saturday, while places such as Bella Bella and the Howe Sound north of Metro Vancouver reported gusts exceeding 90 km/h.

Earlier in the week, winds approaching 140 km/h were reported on Vancouver Island, while last weekend's severe windstorm led to the mudslide that closed a large section of the Sea to Sky Highway linking Vancouver and Whistler.

A home in the area was also struck by the mudslide, and police recovered the body of one of two occupants on Dec. 15 -- the day after the mudslide.

On Saturday night, Squamish RCMP confirmed that crews recovered the second occupant's body, but did not release the names of the victims.

MORE National ARTICLES

Former Canadian Olympic athlete wanted in U.S. for murder, drug charges

Former Canadian Olympic athlete wanted in U.S. for murder, drug charges
Ryan James Wedding is one of 16 defendants named in an indictment filed in California, which details an operation that allegedly moved large shipments of cocaine from Colombia through Mexico and California to Canada and other locations in the United States. U.S. authorities say the 43-year-old Wedding, who was living in Mexico, is considered a fugitive. 

Former Canadian Olympic athlete wanted in U.S. for murder, drug charges

Suspected MDMA seizure by Delta Police

Suspected MDMA seizure by Delta Police
Police in Delta say officers seized about 87 kilograms of suspected M-D-M-A during a traffic stop in the city. They say occupants of the vehicle were arrested but have been released pending further investigation.

Suspected MDMA seizure by Delta Police

3 teens charged in transit assault

3 teens charged in transit assault
Transit police in Metro Vancouver say three teenage girls have been charged for two violent assaults that happened on public transit in Surrey in July. They say around 9 P-M on July 11th, the group attacked a 16-year-old at a SkyTrain station and later beat an 18-year-old woman on a bus following a verbal assault. 

3 teens charged in transit assault

CP Railway adjusts safety measures following B.C. train crash: safety board

CP Railway adjusts safety measures following B.C. train crash: safety board
The board's report says the supervisor was inspecting the main tracks on Dec. 29, 2022, in a vehicle that can operate on both roads and rail when he noticed a defect that needed repair.  It says that while the man was repairing the track, an eastbound freight train crashed into the unoccupied vehicle, but no one was hurt.

CP Railway adjusts safety measures following B.C. train crash: safety board

Singh says he doesn't understand why Poilievre won't get top security clearance

Singh says he doesn't understand why Poilievre won't get top security clearance
Singh said party leaders need to be briefed on top-secret information, noting the allegations this week that Indian agents played a role in the extortion, coercion and murder of Canadian citizens on Canadian soil. 

Singh says he doesn't understand why Poilievre won't get top security clearance

B.C. smashes advance voting record with a million ballots already cast

B.C. smashes advance voting record with a million ballots already cast
Elections BC says a record number of British Columbians have already cast their ballots in advance voting before Saturday's provincial election. The elections body says just over a million people have voted, representing more than 28 per cent of all registered electors and putting the province on track for big overall turnout.

B.C. smashes advance voting record with a million ballots already cast