Canada finds 4th body after British Columbia mudslide
Nov 20, 2021, 3:10 PM
In this handout provided by the Canadian Armed Forces, A CH149 Cormorant and its crew from 442 Search and Rescue Squadron provide support for Operation (Op) LENTUS, evacuating people out after heavy rain triggered mudslides along a highway on November 15, 2021 in Merritt, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Corporal Parker Salustro/Royal Canadian Air Force via Getty Images) Op LENTUS is the Canadian Armed Forces response to natural disasters in Canada, with troops and equipment deployed to assist in evacuation efforts in the province of British Columbia. Please credit: Corporal Parker Salustro, Canadian Armed Forces Photo
(Photo by Corporal Parker Salustro/Royal Canadian Air Force via Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The British Columbia Coroners Service has confirmed the discovery of three more bodies near the village of Pemberton, bringing to four the number of people who died in a landslide caused by heavy rains that swept vehicles off the road.
The search continues for a fifth body, chief coroner Lisa Lapointe said in a statement Saturday.
The mudslide occurred Monday when a wave of rock and debris covered a section of the highway between Lillooet and Pemberton.
The body of a woman was recovered Monday.
Lapointe said another body was recovered Wednesday and two additional bodies were found on Thursday.
“Efforts continued Friday to locate a fifth person reported as missing, but unfortunately those attempts were unsuccessful,” she said.
The British Columbia government announced Friday it is limiting the amount of fuel people can purchase at gas stations in some parts of the province and is restricting nonessential travel as highways begin to reopen following the storms.
Provincial Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said nonessential vehicles will be limited to about eight gallons (30 liters) per trip to the gas station. The order is expected to last until Dec. 1.
Environment Canada says 24 B.C. communities received close to 4 inches (100 millimeters) of rain from Saturday to Monday.
The precautionary closure of the Trans Mountain Pipeline during the flooding has raised concerns about a fuel shortage in province’s Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.
