Banff bus fire strands U.K. students on ski trip

LAKE LOUISE, Alta. – Four dozen youth visiting from the United Kingdom were shuttled to safety after their tour bus caught fire on a scenic highway in Banff National Park.

At about 5 p.m. Tuesday, Alberta RCMP in Lake Louise were called to the fire on the Icefields Parkway.

Mounties say there were 60 stranded passengers at the scene, including 48 youth on a school ski trip from Tonbridge, U.K.

Police, firefighters, paramedics and Parks Canada responded and confirmed everyone got out of the bus without injuries.

While the occupants waited for another bus to take them to their destination, a local lodge provided temporary shelter.

RCMP believe the cause of the fire was mechanical.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 3, 2024.

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version had differing numbers of youth on the bus.