Ottawa, June 16 : At least 15 people died and ten suffered injuries in a car accident involving a semi-trailer truck and a bus in Canada’s Manitoba province on Thursday, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Manitoba said.

“At 11:40am [16:40 GMT] today, #rcmpmb responded to a mass casualty collision between a semi-trailer & bus. At this time, there are 15 fatalities & 10 people taken to hospital with various injuries. Major Crime Services is investigating & on scene,” the RCMP said on Twitter.

The incident occurred near the town of Carberry, west of Winnipeg, when the bus carrying senior citizens from the city of Dauphin was hit by the truck while crossing lanes on a highway, the police added.

The RCMP noted that a family support center had been set up in Dauphin with RCMP officers on site so that families could address their questions.