Three people were killed and 16 others were injured Thursday after a chain-reaction crash involving two Calgary Transit buses and several other vehicles in Calgary, Alberta. Both buses caught fire in the collision.
The Calgary Police Service said officers responded at approximately 1:11 p.m. Thursday to a vehicle fire involving a Calgary Transit bus in the 800 block of Saddletowne Circle N.E. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Police Staff Sgt. Andy Woodward said the crash began when a transit bus struck a car, triggering a series of collisions. The bus then continued through an intersection and hit a second bus parked at a stop.
The impact set the second bus on fire and pushed it across the road, where it collided with three additional vehicles. The second bus was powered by natural gas, which police believe contributed to the fire.
Images and videos circulating online showed one bus engulfed in flames, with thick gray smoke rising above the scene. The front of the bus believed to have started the chain-reaction crash was badly damaged.
Emergency Medical Services spokesperson Adam Loria said 19 people were injured, including 10 who were taken to hospital by ambulance. A police officer also sustained injuries and was taken to hospital.
Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas expressed heartbreak over the deaths and injuries and said a full investigation would be conducted.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith also offered condolences to the victims and their families, saying her thoughts were with those who died and everyone injured in the crash.