Accident at Lac-Bouchette
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| Accident at Lac-Bouchette | |
|---|---|
  Crash site Crash site (Quebec) | |
| 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
[edit]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
[edit]The Lac-Bouchette accident is the third deadliest traffic accident in Quebec history and sixth in Canadian history.
References
[edit]- ^ 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.
- ^ a b "Quebec town mourns minibus tragedy victims - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved October 4, 2023.