Multiple Students Injured Following School Bus Rollover in Northern Manitoba: RCMP

A school bus is seen during a safety event for children in this file photo. Paul J. Richards/AFP via Getty Images

Fifteen people have been taken to hospital following a school bus rollover in rural Manitoba.

Manitoba RCMP said officers responded to a call of a school bus rollover on Jan. 13 on Highway 10, about 10 kilometres south of Mafeking, which is north of Swan River, at 8:35 a.m. Mafeking is about 550 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.

There were 14 students between the ages of 16 and 18 and one adult on the bus at the time of the collision, according to a Jan. 13 release from Manitoba’s health authority, Shared Health. Four of the students were deemed to have what police said were “significant” but non-life threatening injuries.

Manitoba RCMP said they believed the driver of the bus lost control of the vehicle when attempting to pass another bus, resulting in the rollover.

A total of 15 patients were taken to the Swan Valley Health Centre for assessment and treatment of injuries, Shared Health said. Three of the patients were then transported to the Children’s Hospital in Winnipeg via air ambulance. They were said to be in stable condition. One adult was also taken to another hospital for further care, the health authority said.

A spokesperson with Shared Health said a code orange alert was called at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg and at the Swan Valley Health Centre following the incident, but that it has since been cancelled for the Health Sciences Centre. A code orange alert is a “readiness stage” following a mass casualty incident, requiring the hospital to prepare for a large influx of patients. The alert signals to teams to assess what resources will be needed.

“While we are thankful this incident did not result in any loss of life, we recognize the emotional toll such an event can have on those who experienced it,“ said the statement from the health authority. ”At this time, no further updates on patient conditions will be provided in order to respect patient privacy and ensure their care remains the health system’s first priority.”

Shared Health said a family room has been created at the Swan Valley Health Centre to offer mental health support on site.

The RCMP said it would provide more details as they become available.

Southern Manitoba School Bus Crash

The incident comes about 10 months after another school bus crash in the province, this one near the southern community of Treherne.

RCMP said eight children were taken to hospital with minor injuries after a school bus collided with a tractor near the intersection of Road 37 West and Road 43 North, on May 13, 2025.

Police said when officers arrived, emergency medical services were already on-scene caring for the occupants of the bus. There were 31 children on the school bus at the time, which was transporting the students to the Prairie Spirit School Division.

Investigators said a grader travelling southbound on Road 37 West had been pushing debris along the road to be collected by a tractor. The school bus read-ended the tractor, according to police. The grader was not involved in the incident. The driver of the school bus and the driver of the tractor were taken to hospital as a precaution.