A Richmond-based tour operator answered to media Friday afternoon after one its chartered buses crashed on the Coquihalla Highway Thursday afternoon, sending 43 customers to various hospitals in the Interior.
Most of the passengers on the Super Vacation Canada tour were tourists from the U.S. and Southeast Asia, said the company's director of services Nick Kam, who noted his company chartered the bus from Western Bus Lines.
"I would like to emphasize this is one of the most mainstream bus companies," said Kam, speaking to English and Chinese media from his office in Richmond.
He said he had little information on the condition of the bus driver.
"The driver is a Caucasian and very experienced," said Kam.
He said Super Vacations has since assisted families reunite with one another as passengers were sent to different hospitals in the Interior, such as Kamloops and Kelowna.
"We try our own best to assist the customers," said Kam.
Kam said eight to 10 people were working in the Richmond offices Thursday night to find the locations of each customer. He said he has recieved many calls from families.
Ten people were listed as sustaining serious injuries.
RCMP Sgt. Brian Nightingale said the dash-cam footage, captured by a truck travelling behind the bus, indicates speed was likely not a factor, leaving human error or mechanical failure as possible causes.
“It’s more an issue that the driver drove into the centre median and then veered too hard trying to get onto the road,” Nightingale said.
“We’re doing mechanical (inspections) today on the bus, so that will rule out any kind of mechanical factors, like steering and braking and that kind of stuff.”
Super Vacations describes itself as the largest Chinese tour operator in North America. The company has said the bus was returning to Vancouver from on a trip to the Rocky Mountains and was between Kamloops and Vancouver when it rolled over.
