Accident at Lac-Bouchette
Accident at Lac-Bouchette | |
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Details | |
Date | July 17, 1993 |
Location | Lac-Bouchette, Quebec |
Statistics | |
Vehicles | 2 (minibus, van) |
Passengers | 18 |
Deaths | 19 |
The Accident at Lac-Bouchette occurred on July 17, 1993 when a minibus carrying senior citizens collided with a van, resulting in an inferno that killed 19, just outside of Lac-Bouchette, Quebec on highway 155.[1]
Accident
On July 17, 1993 a minibus carrying an elderly congregation of parishioners from the towns of Verchères, Quebec and Contrecoeur, Quebec, all from the same church, were returning home on highway 155 after a pilgrimage to the Roman Catholic shrine, le Ermitage Saint-Antoine, in the village of Lac-Bouchette.[1] Also returning home that day on the same highway in the opposite direction were a family of forestry workers from Lac-Bouchette travelling in a van that was towing a trailer full of tanks of diesel fuel.[1] When the two vehicles crossed paths the van lost control of its heavy trailer and collided with the minibus head on.[1] The diesel ignited causing an inferno that engulfed both vehicles.[1] In the end 17 parishioners were dead including 2 occupants from the van.[2] Two survivors were pulled from the wreckage by passers-by, one from the bus and one from the van.[2]
Legacy
The Lac-Bouchette accident is the third deadliest traffic accident in Quebec history and sixth in Canadian history.[3]
References
- ^ a b c d e jeantremblayfm (2013-07-14). "Les désastres les plus meurtriers au Québec depuis 50 ans racontés… Partie 1". Les écrits de Jean Tremblay (in French). Retrieved 2023-10-04.
- ^ a b "Quebec town mourns minibus tragedy victims - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
- ^ "List of deadliest Canadian traffic accidents", Wikipedia, 2023-10-02, retrieved 2023-10-04