WINNIPEG — Emergency crews in southern Manitoba were called to dozens of collisions as a winter storm blew through.
RCMP say many detachments outside of the Perimeter Highway and in rural communities have been busy responding to multi-vehicle crashes.
Several highways, including the Perimeter and the Trans-Canada from Brandon to Winnipeg, are closed.
The Manitoba government has urged drivers to avoid all roadways in the southern part of the province as storm conditions have reduced visibility to near-zero in some areas.
The province's health organization says several hospitals were on alert to receive a sudden influx of patients due to vehicle collisions.
Shared Health says the number of injured and the severity of their injuries are still being determined.
"We can confirm that a number of patients have been or are in the process of being transported to various hospitals and health centres across the province," it said in an email Friday afternoon.
Code oranges were called at the hospital in Ste. Anne, Man., and the Bethesda Regional Health Centre in Steinbach, Man., meaning staff were told to prepare for a sudden surge in patients.
Staff at Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre were alerted that a code orange could be called.
High winds and blizzard-like conditions began causing hazardous driving conditions early Friday.
A blizzard warning issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada for parts of southern Manitoba was lifted later in the day.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 17, 2025.
Brittany Hobson, The Canadian Press
