Three dead, 16 injured after fiery crash involving two Calgary city buses

CALGARY — Three people are dead and 16 others were injured after a fiery, multi-vehicle crash involving two Calgary city buses on Thursday afternoon.

The collision occurred just after 1 p.m. in the northeast community of Saddle Ridge, on the 800 block of Saddletowne Circle N.E., near a fire station.

"I've been a police officer 36 years, and I think this is probably the biggest scene I've worked on in relation to the collision that we've got here," said Calgary Police Staff Sgt. Andy Woodward.

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Ten people were transported to hospital via ambulance, with one in life-threatening condition and nine others in non-life-threatening condition, officials said.

Five others were assessed for non-life-threatening injuries at the scene and later taken to hospital for further assessment.

A Calgary Police Service member also sustained minor injuries.

Woodward said early indications suggest a Calgary Transit bus travelling northbound on Saddletowne Circle collided with a white vehicle, which then struck another and collided with a cube van.

He said the bus then continued through an intersection and hit a second bus that was stopped at a bus stop, pushing it across the road where it collided with three other vehicles.

In total, eight vehicles were involved.

The second bus, which was parked, caught fire. Calgary Fire Chief Steve Dongworth said a hazardous materials unit was called because that bus ran on compressed natural gas.

"It was fairly involved," Dongworth said. "It wasn't a catastrophic fire, but it was a serious fire inside ... there was also a small fire in the other bus."

The driver of the second bus was trapped and needed to be extricated, Dongworth added.

Maxwell Calinisan, who was in a nearby Shoppers Drug Mart, said store staff told customers to evacuate to the parking lot.

"When we first came out, I looked to my left and the fire was just on the bus, and then we just ran as far as possible in the parking lot," he told CBC News.

He said the fire was burning everything.

Sean Stamboltas, who lives near the crash scene, said when he arrived, a natural gas Calgary Transit bus was fully engulfed. A second standard bus was behind it with the front end crumpled and on fire.

Police asked bystanders to leave the area due to an explosion hazard.

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 583 president Mike Mahar called the scene unprecedented.

"It's shocking, the level of tragedy . . . I don't recall a bus burning like that," he said. "We're very concerned for our operators and the families affected by this."

He said the union has never had concerns about the safety of natural gas-powered buses but "we may now."

Calgary Transit director Sharon Fleming, speaking at an unrelated news conference, said the priority is "the safety and care of the passengers and operators involved in the collision, and our sympathies are with those affected by this incident."

Mayor Jeromy Farkas offered his condolences on social media.

"On behalf of the City of Calgary, I want to extend my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who died," Farkas said. "There will be a full investigation into what happened, what caused this collision and what may need to change to prevent another tragedy, but right now our focus is on the families who are grieving and the injured who are recovering."

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi also offered their condolences.

"My sincere thoughts are with the families of those who died and with everyone injured," Smith posted on X.

Nenshi said in a statement, "Our hearts are with the victims, their loved ones, and everyone affected by this horrific incident."

Police said they expected the area to be closed for a significant amount of time. Northbound Saddletowne Circle between Falconbridge Boulevard N.E. and Taravista Drive N.E. had reopened by 6 p.m., while the rest of the circle remained closed.

Police continue to investigate the cause of the incident.

With files from The Canadian Press, CBC News and Calgary Herald