School bus crash in western Manitoba sends several children to hospital

Several children were taken to hospital after a school bus left a highway in western Manitoba on Tuesday morning, according to RCMP.

Police say the bus rolled off the road south of Mafeking, near the community of Swan River, roughly 550 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. Emergency crews responded to the scene shortly after the crash was reported.

RCMP confirmed that four people on board the bus suffered significant but non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to hospital for treatment. Other passengers were assessed at the scene and were also taken to hospital as a precaution.

The cause of the crash has not yet been determined. Mounties say the investigation is ongoing and more details will be released as they become available.

School bus safety is a recurring concern for rural Manitoba communities, where long travel distances and winter road conditions can increase risks for student transportation. Local school divisions have not yet commented on the incident.