Several people, including about five teenagers, remain in hospital after a bus collided with a heavy truck in Quebec.
The incident happened during a snowstorm on Feb. 13 in Quebec’s Laurentians region, according to provincial police.
At the time, the bus was carrying about 30 people belonging to a swim club from Val d’Or in that province. They were on their way to the Quebec Junior Cup in Blainville, a regional swim competition.
Police said six people were taken to hospital following the collision. The injuries were not considered life threatening.
A Facebook post from swim competition organizers says that five athletes remained in hospital as of Feb. 14.
Two have been transferred to Montreal for treatment while three are in the Mont-Laurier hospital, in the region where the collision occurred.
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The post said coach Dany Delisle was discharged from the hospital and sent home.
”We are deeply touched by the outpouring of solidarity both online and poolside,” the post said. “This rally is a testament to the strength and unity of our aquatic community.”
Quebec police said the collision investigation was ongoing.
The president of the swim team involved in the collision, Normand Pouliot, said in a Facebook post that the majority of those on the bus suffered minor injuries.
However, he also said that some suffered serious injuries that would require surgery.
”We would like to thank the first responders and emergency care teams at the Mont-Laurier Hospital who did an exceptional job with our swimmers and companions,” he wrote in the post.
Francis Menard, the head of Quebec’s swim federation, said the injured swimmers were between the ages of 12 and 17. He said that some of the teens suffered fractures in the collision.
Menard said the federation decided to continue the competition after consulting the coaches and athletes.
He said the initial shock following the accident has turned into a wave of solidarity for those hurt in the crash. Menard said there was a minute of applause at the competition the morning of Feb. 14.
Different clubs at the competition have been working on plans to get everyone home safely as another snowstorm is expected to hit the province on Feb. 16, the last day of the competition, according to Menard.
He said some teams may need to leave early, and the schedule will be adjusted as needed.
Youth athletes heading back to Val d’Or are expected to be met with heath professionals, social services, and school representatives, Menard said.
“I think there will be a big wave of solidarity for the young people returning to Val d’Or in the next hours,” he said.
The Canadian Press contributed to this article.
