Hospital Declares Code Orange After Highway Bus Crash in British Columbia

A local hospital in northern British Columbia declared a code orange following a major highway bus crash that left multiple people with serious injuries on Wednesday morning. The incident occurred on Highway 39 south of Mackenzie, prompting an intensive multi-agency emergency response involving several ground ambulances and an air ambulance.

According to Northern Health, the designated code orange status is reserved specifically for disaster or mass casualty events, encompassing both injuries and fatalities. Authorities have not yet released an exact count of how many individuals were hurt in the crash, but police confirmed that serious injuries were reported at the scene.

Emergency health services and local fire rescue units rushed to the corridor to treat the wounded. Police stated that Highway 39 south of Mackenzie would remain closed for several hours while medical personnel delivered urgent care and investigators worked to determine the cause of the rollover.

With no alternative bypass routes available around the closure, officials urged the public to stay completely clear of the zone. "We ask the public to avoid the area and allow emergency personnel the space they need to safely respond to this incident," said RCMP Cpl. Brett Urano.

Local educational authorities quickly moved to clarify that the accident did not involve any district school buses. Mackenzie Secondary School issued an update to parents confirming that all of their students were safe and that the school had only dispatched a vehicle to the scene afterward to provide auxiliary support.

In response to the surge of patients from the disaster, Northern Health advised area residents to steer clear of the Mackenzie and District Hospital emergency department unless facing life-threatening medical emergencies.

Investigation efforts remain active as authorities continue to process the crash site. Further details regarding the precise number of casualties and the condition of the patients will be released as information becomes available.