UPDATE: Highway 39 south of Mackenzie cleared; BC Highway Patrol seeking dash cam and witnesses : My Cowichan Valley Now

DriveBC said Highway 39 south of Mackenzie has been cleared after a bus crash earlier that day. Northern Health confirmed that a “Code Orange” at the Mackenzie and District Hospital ended at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, and emergency department services returned to normal. As of 4:30 p.m., University Hospital of Northern BC in Prince George remained on Code Orange while injured patients from the morning incident were treated. Northern Health asked residents to avoid the Prince George emergency department except for life-threatening emergencies. Paramedics dispatched included six ground ambulances and multiple air resources, and 20 people needed emergency medical care: one serious case by air ambulance, six by ground and then air, and 13 stable patients by bus with advanced care paramedics. BC Highway Patrol is seeking dash-cam footage and witnesses; the cause remains uncertain. An IREN spokesperson said the bus was chartered by a contractor.