Passengers trapped for hours after power line falls on Saanich bus

The ride home for almost 30 passengers on Oct. 26 was unexpected, to say the least. After a fallen tree brought down a power pole and live wires onto a BC Transit bus, the passengers were stuck for nearly four hours early Sunday morning. The Route 28 bus was affected as it travelled on Feltham Road, near the intersection with Cedar Hill Road. The incident happened just after midnight. Passengers were not permitted to leave the bus until BC Hydro personnel arrived, resulting in the passengers remaining on board until just after 4 a.m., according to a BC Transit spokesperson. This was due to Hydro crews already managing several incidents throughout the region, the spokesperson said. A secondary bus was eventually brought to the scene, and all passengers were then taken to their destinations. “BC Transit appreciates the patience of the impacted customers, and thanks the transit operator, transit supervisors, BC Hydro and emergency services that supported their safety throughout the incident,” BC Transit said in a statement to Victoria News. Oct. 26 saw a total of 6.7 mm of rain as storms swept the area. Since Environment Canada first forecasted the storm system on Wednesday, tens of thousands of Vancouver Island customers have lost power.