Two people died after being hit by a bus driver who deliberately hit a daycare center in Laval, according to our sources.
Children were reportedly trapped under the vehicle and the driver was arrested.
Here are the final details
11:45 am | Tragedy in Laval: “The children were screaming and crying,” says a neighbor of the daycare.
Immediate neighbors of the daycare said the children were crying and screaming when they arrived at the scene of the tragedy, minutes after a bus driver from the Société de transport de Laval (STL) drove into daycare on Wednesday morning.
“I was not able to stay there, it was too difficult. The children were screaming, crying, they were all in a room”, testified a lady who was on the scene during the tragedy.
11:45 am | Tragedy in Laval: the bus drivers’ union “really upset”
Photo QMI Agency, Etienne Bouchard
The Laval bus drivers’ union said its members were “really upset” by the tragedy that unfolded Wednesday morning, when a driver from the Société de transport de Laval (STL) drove into a daycare center, causing several injuries.
11:24 am | Four children were taken to Sainte-Justine hospital and three others to Cité-de-la-Santé in Laval. An adult receives care at the Sacré-Coeur hospital in traumatology.
Three children are in critical condition.
11:18 am | Bus that ran into a daycare center in Laval: “What a nightmare”, reacts Bruno Marchand
The mayor of Quebec called the drama that unfolded Wednesday morning a “nightmare”, after a bus from the Laval Transport Company (STL) drove into a daycare center in the Sainte-Rose district, injuring several people. “What a nightmare! All our thoughts are directed to Laval,” wrote Bruno Marchand in a Twitter post.
11:06 am | Two people died after being hit by a bus driver who deliberately hit a daycare center in Laval, according to our sources.
ETIENNE BOUCHARD / QMI AGENCY
11:05 am | Bus that crashed into a daycare center in Laval: a “horrible to see” scene, according to the mayor
11:05 am | “What an awful tragedy. My thoughts are with the children, their families, as well as the caregivers,” wrote Christian Dubé in a tweet.
11:00 a.m. | A witness told reporters that several people tried to control the driver, even going so far as to hit him.
10:57 am | Tragedy in a Laval daycare: “We will be there if we can help”, says Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government was following the situation “closely” after a bus drove into a daycare center in Laval, seriously injuring several children and adults.
10:55 a.m. | Several injured children transported to Sainte-Justine hospital
“The Sainte-Justine hospital welcomes the young victims of the bus accident which occurred on Wednesday morning, presenting serious injuries and requiring urgent care.
The hospital center teams are doing everything they can to treat patients, but also to support families in this tragic situation.
The hospital center will take stock at the beginning of the afternoon.
10:52 am | Bus that crashed into a daycare center in Laval: “I am heartbroken,” says Plante
The mayoress of Montreal, Valérie Plante, said she was “heartbroken” when she learned that a bus from the Société de transport de Laval (STL) drove into a daycare center in the Sainte-Rose district on Wednesday morning.
10:48 am | Children and adults in critical condition among the eight ambulance transports to hospitals in Laval and Montreal.
10:42 am | A shaken dad makes a brief statement to journalist Yves Poirier.
10:40 a.m. | See the photographs of the accident scene, considered a crime scene.
10:35 a.m. | The arrested driver had worked for the STL for at least ten years, according to the mayor
10:31 a.m. | Urgences santé confirms 8 ambulance transport in urgent mode.
10:30 a.m. | Laval police confirm that people were injured without confirming the number. No other details are given.
10:18 am | The tragedy of the Sainte-Rose daycare center from the air
See the impressive images of the bus embedded in the Garderie Éducative Sainte-Rose in Laval on Wednesday morning.
10:15 a.m. | A bus crashes into a daycare center: it could be a deliberate gesture
10:05 am | The mayor of Laval makes a statement.
“I am devastated by this news. The investigation continues to understand this tragic series of events.
9:50 am | “What a terrible drama this morning in Laval”, reacts François Legault
Premier François Legault reacted quickly to the sad accident that occurred this morning in Laval when an STL bus crashed into the Sainte-Rose educational daycare, injuring several people.
9:49 am | “It was chaos”: several children injured after a collision between a bus and a daycare center in Laval “There were a lot of parents helping to get children out who were caught under the bus”
9:22 am | We receive a first photo of the scene.
9:13 am | A bus rushes into a daycare center in Laval, several children injured
8:50 am | Initial information indicates a serious accident involving an STL bus. We are trying to get confirmation.