Road collapse in Rivière-Éternité leaves two missing, one critically injured
Two individuals went missing on July 1, 2023, after a road in Rivière-Éternité, Quebec, Canada, gave way due to a landslide triggered by a river surge. The pair, along with a man now in critical condition, were clearing debris after a thunderstorm when the incident occurred.
Two people have gone missing after a major landslide caused a road to collapse in Rivière-Éternité, a town in Quebec’s Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region on July 1, located approximately 170 km (105.6 miles) northeast of Quebec City.
The tragic incident occurred when two men and a woman, engaged in clearing the road of debris after a severe thunderstorm, were swept away by the sudden surge in river water. The provincial police (SQ) informed that one of the men, aged in his 40s, was rescued and is currently in critical condition at Chicoutimi Hospital.
According to Environment Canada, about 130 mm (5.1 inches) of rain fell over the area within just two hours.l
As of July 2, the search operation for the missing duo was still in progress. Multiple resources including a helicopter, divers, ATV drivers, and foot patrollers have been deployed to ensure a thorough search. Route 170, where the incident took place, remains closed on Sunday morning as restoration work is actively underway. A tweet from Transport Quebec read, “Major work is underway to restore safe traffic as quickly as possible.”
On the evening of the incident, the municipality of Rivière-Éternité, home to approximately 400 residents, declared a state of emergency. Evacuations were carried out in the afternoon, with officials stating in an 8:00 press release that more evacuations are anticipated.
The release further informed, “Torrential rains have caused road closures on rue Principale, rue Sainte-Thérèse, in the Parc national du Fjord-du-Saguenay, landslides and loss of electricity.” Moreover, the area between Saguenay and Tadoussac was under a tornado warning mid-day Saturday as violent thunderstorms hit the region, amplifying the crisis.
References:
1 Two missing after landslide in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Que. – CTV News – July 2, 2023
2 2 people missing after torrential rain in Quebec causes landslide – Global News – July 2, 2023
Featured image credit: Global News (stillshot)
If you value what we do here, create your ad-free account and support our journalism.
Your support makes a difference
Dear valued reader,
We hope that our website has been a valuable resource for you.
The reality is that it takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to maintain and grow this website. We rely on the support of readers like you to keep providing high-quality content.
If you have found our website to be helpful, please consider making a contribution to help us continue to bring you the information you need. Your support means the world to us and helps us to keep doing what we love.
Support us by choosing your support level – Silver, Gold or Platinum.
Other support options include Patreon pledges, one-off payments using PayPal and purchasing products from our webshop.
Thank you for your consideration. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Teo Blašković
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:
We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.