Fuel rationed and travel restricted in Canada due to flooding – International

Authorities in British Columbia, a province in western Canada that has been badly affected by flooding in recent days, announced this Friday (19) restrictions on fuel access in inundated areas, due to supply difficulties.

Heavy rains that hit southwest British Columbia on Sunday and Monday triggered landslides and flooding that destroyed roads and infrastructure.

The Trans Mountain pipeline has been temporarily closed.

“We urge the public to limit fuel consumption and travel by car at this time,” Mike Farnworth, the province’s minister of public safety, told a news conference.

Individuals will no longer be able to buy more than 30 liters of fuel at gas stations.

The measures will help maintain “commercial traffic and stabilize supply chains” and help refugees return to their homes, officials said.

In addition, “we urge people not to travel to severely affected areas for their own safety, but also to ensure that the fuel we have is used for services that society needs.”

Authorities said four people were still missing on Friday in the Pemberton area, where aid workers found the body of a woman earlier this week.

Troops, deployed since Wednesday, helped unblock roads in several areas of the province, as well as build a new dam in Abbotsford, a city that has been partially flooded and where there are fears of heavy rains next week.

About 60 soldiers arrived in Abbotsford on Thursday.

“Almost all military bases in the country are on alert and ready to deploy teams if needed,” said AFP’s Pamela Hogan, spokeswoman for the Ministry of National Defense.

“Members of the Canadian Armed Forces will collaborate with civil engineers on the construction of the embankment,” he added.

In just a few months, this region of Canada’s Pacific coast has experienced repeated natural disasters, such as a particularly intense heat episode in late June, as a result of global warming, experts say, and large fires.

Jackson Wintringham

"Coffee aficionado nerd. Troublemaker. General communicator. Gamer. Analyst. Creator. Total brew ninja."

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