BC flood: One person dies in landslide, province assesses damage
One person was confirmed dead while others were reported missing following a landslide on a British Columbia highway, officials said.
The BC RCMP said in a statement on Tuesday, a woman’s body was recovered from the scene of the skid on Highway 99 between Pemberton and Lillooet.
At least two people have been reported missing and other occupied vehicles may have been caught in the slide, which is located about 9 kilometers north of Pemberton, according to the RCMP.
The highway remains closed between Lil’wat Place and Seton Lake Road. Initial reports suggest that around 50 vehicles were stranded, some of which may have been carried away.
‘AVOID ALL TRIPS TO ABBOTSFORD’
Meanwhile, BC’s transport department is advising residents to “avoid traveling to Abbotsford and surrounding areas” due to the city’s state of emergency and widespread flooding causing damage to properties. route in the Fraser Valley.
“Ambulance team [are] deal with widespread flooding, and any additional traffic will hinder their efforts,” the ministry said in a statement. DriveBC Twitter account. “Highways are closed until further notice.”
Abbotsford declared a local emergency on Monday due to “several local emergencies” because of the flooding. The city’s mayor said the warning would remain in place for seven days, unless it was announced in advance.
Schools in Abbotsford were also closed on Tuesday.
In addition, some areas of the strait and the Sumas grasslands were ordered to evacuate on Monday and Tuesday.
VANCOUVER BRIDGE REOPENS
The city of Vancouver has reopened the Burrard Street Bridge after it was closed Monday night due to concerns about a large barge running aground nearby.
The barge escaped from its mooring lines in a strong wind that brought torrential rains in southern BC from Saturday night to Monday.
It was seen floating near the city’s breakwater on Monday afternoon before running aground at Sunset Beach. Officials closed the bridge over fears it could come loose again.
City said on Twitter that plans are underway to tow the barge Tuesday afternoon. A city engineer told CTV News Vancouver that he estimated it took six tugs to pull the barge out of the rock.
CONTINUE ROAD
While some roads have reopened, many remained closed due to flooding and landslides on Tuesday as rescue efforts continued to reach people trapped in their vehicles. Several road warnings remain affected, including those for sections of Freeways 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 14 and 99, due to flooding and landslides.
LIST OF ORIGIN PERSIST
Crews have made progress in restoring power in many areas, but nearly 20,000 customers from Vancouver Island to the Kootenay region remain in the dark and crews have yet to be assigned to some areas. hard-hit areas, including Chilliwack and Hope.
As of Tuesday morning, there were no reports of injuries or deaths due to the weather system.
With a file from CTV News’ Kendra Mangione, Alyse Kotyk, Alissa Thibault and Andrew Weichel, and The Canadian Press
.