Five people lost their lives after a major collision that occurred Thursday at the entrance to the village of Chapais, in northern Quebec, and involved a vehicle transporting patients from the Cree community of Waswanipi.
Around 1:15 p.m., the driver of a van allegedly veered out of his lane to hit an oncoming van with four people on board.
The van belongs to the Cree Board of Health, confirmed an employee of the organization, specifying that it usually transports patients to the Chibougamau hospital so that they can receive treatment. It was not possible to know whether it was indeed transporting patients awaiting treatment on Thursday.
The van caught fire following impact and all its passengers were taken to hospital, as was the driver of the van. “The circumstances preceding the collision are still unclear,” said Sûreté du Québec spokesperson Hugues Beaulieu.
The driver of the van, a 45-year-old man from Chapais, lost his life, as did the four occupants of the van, a 60-year-old woman and three men aged 47, 63 and 69 from the Cree community. of Waswanipi.
Route 113 is closed to traffic and should remain so for a while, indicates Hugues Beaulieu. Two reconstructionists are heading to the scene to try to understand the circumstances leading to the accident.
“I would like to offer my condolences to the Cree community of Waswanipi for the loss of 4 of their members during a terrible accident that occurred in Chapais. My condolences also to the family and loved ones of the 5e victim,” declared the minister responsible for the Mauricie, Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Nord-du-Québec regions, Jean Boulet, on the social network
“My thoughts are with the victims’ loved ones. Our teams are mobilized to offer psychosocial support,” declared the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé.
The Cree community of Waswanipi, which has approximately 2,000 inhabitants, is located between Lebel-sur-Quévillon and Chibougamau.
Chapais is a town of around 1,500 inhabitants located around forty kilometers from Chibougamau. Last summer, its population was evacuated due to the threat posed by a major forest fire.