Canada

Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

A pickup truck is sandwiched between two vehicles as more than 300 people have been injured following a multi-vehicle crash in snowy conditions on Highway 2 south of Edmonton. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Derek Fildebrandt

A spring blizzard that has been blasting through the Prairies is being blamed for a chaotic series of crashes south of Edmonton involving at least 100 vehicles.

About 22 people went to area hospitals, including one man with serious injuries.

Kerry Williamson, with Alberta Health Services, said Thursday that about 80 others were treated at the site. At first it was believed that even more people were hurt.

"The initial call came in that we had in 300 green patients, which are sort of minor to moderate injuries."

Paramedics, EMS crews and firefighters trudged through the snow, going from vehicle to vehicle, to check on those inside, Williamson said.

They commandeered three Greyhound buses on the highway and used them as triage centres, he said. Police also escorted four Edmonton transit buses to the scene to provide shelter to motorists who were stranded.

"It's obviously a mess out there."