Bus fire leaves international students stranded in Banff National Park

Almost 40 kids on an international school ski trip were stranded on the Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park when their tour bus caught on fire Tuesday (April 2).

Lake Louise RCMP and emergency crews were quick to respond to reports of a passenger bus damaged by fire around 5 p.m.

“There were approximately 60 stranded bus passengers at the scene, 48 of which were youth who were on an international school ski trip from Tonbridge, U.K.,” said Cpl. Gina Slaney, an RCMP public information officer.

Local RCMP, fire rescue, emergency medical responders, and Parks Canada quickly responded to the incident and confirmed everyone got safely off the bus without injuries.

Slaney said a local business, The Lodge at Bow Lake, accommodated all passengers for a temporary shelter until the bus company could send another bus to have their passengers reach their destination.

“The cause of the fire is believed to be mechanical,” she said.