Canada: Nearly 300 people evacuated as heavy rains trigger flooding in British Columbia

Heavy rains have caused flooding in the southern region of British Columbia, Canada on Monday. Around 300 people were airlifted by helicopters to safer places as they got trapped in their vehicles overnight following mudslides on a highway in the state. The whole city of Merritt was ordered to evacuate at 10 am local time on Monday due to flooding.

Merritt announced that the community's municipal wastewater treatment plant has failed, and residents were advised not to use water in their homes, including flushing toilets and running faucets, on Monday. According to CBC News, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said situations are continuously changing during a news conference on Monday afternoon. Flooding has driven residents from their homes in many communities, while mudslides and debris floods have wiped away stretches of Highway 1 and the Coquihalla Highway.

'The worst of it is being felt in Merritt'

Farnworth also stated that the worst of it is being felt in Merritt and areas along Highways 7 and 99. He stated that the situation is fluid, and more rains, severe gusts and the possibility of snow in certain regions are exacerbating it, according to CBC News. Mudslides on BC roadways trapped drivers in their vehicles, and rescue operations were underway in a number of spots.

Farnworth said approximately 50 vehicles had been trapped in an area south of Lillooet, according to CBC News. Helicopter rescues were taking place on Monday afternoon along Highway 7 between Hope and Agassiz, where up to 275 people, including 50 children, had been stuck in their vehicles since Sunday. Hundreds of people were evacuated from the slide area to a receiving centre in Agassiz.

Camp Hope is providing shelter to stranded people

Camp Hope, a camping and conference centre along Highway 7, is providing shelter to stranded people. Several members of the Lytton First Nation have already arrived at the location, having been forced to flee their community following a deadly wildfire earlier this summer, according to CBC News. Lytton evacuees are making blankets and bedding for the newcomers, according to camp management. The city of Abbotsford, on the other hand, has opened a reception centre on Sunday for residents who were unable to return home or were forced to flee their homes.

(Inputs from ANI)

(Image: AP)