Third girl dies after being buried in truckload of canola on central Alberta farm

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOUSE, Alta. – RCMP say a third girl has died in a central Alberta farm accident that buried her and two other girls in a truckload of canola.

The girl had been airlifted to a hospital in Edmonton after the accident at a family farm near Withrow on Tuesday night.

Rocky Mountain House RCMP said that the three were playing on a loaded truck of canola, became buried by the seed and suffocated.

EMS officials say ambulance personnel determined the girls had been inside the truck while it was being filled from a hopper, but it was unclear how they became submerged underneath the seed.

They were pulled out by adults, who called for help, but despite the efforts of emergency workers, an 11-year-old and a 13-year-old died.

Another 11-year-old girl was transported via air ambulance in critical condition to the Stollery Children's Hospital and later died.

There are media reports that the three girls were sisters.

RCMP say life-saving measures were attempted at length by personnel from several community fire departments, the ambulance service and RCMP members.

The Rocky Mountain House Victims Service Unit was assisting the family.