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Accident at Lac-Bouchette

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Accident at Lac-Bouchette
Crash site is located in Quebec
Crash site
Crash site
Crash site (Quebec)
Details
DateJuly 17, 1993
LocationLac-Bouchette, Quebec
Statistics
Vehicles2 (minibus, van)
Passengers18
Deaths19

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

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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

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The Lac-Bouchette accident is the third deadliest traffic accident in Quebec history and sixth in Canadian history.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e jeantremblayfm (July 14, 2013). "Les désastres les plus meurtriers au Québec depuis 50 ans racontés… Partie 1". Les écrits de Jean Tremblay (in French). Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Quebec town mourns minibus tragedy victims - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved October 4, 2023.