Woman, 78, dies in train collision in La Broquerie: Manitoba RCMP

Manitoba·New

A 78-year-old woman was killed when she was hit by a train in La Broquerie, Man., on Sunday afternoon, police say.

Francophone community was celebrating St-Jean-Baptiste Day when the collision happened

A halted train.
A 78-year-old woman died in a train collision in La Broquerie, Man., RCMP said in a news release on Monday. (Travis Pederson/CBC)

A 78-year-old woman was killed when she was hit by a train in La Broquerie, Man., on Sunday afternoon, police say.

The collision happened at a rail crossing on Main Street in La Broquerie just before 12:40 p.m., officers said in a new release on Monday morning. 

The Francophone community, about 60 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg, was holding a parade as part of its St-Jean-Baptiste Day festivities when it happened. 

The Quebec national holiday honours the patron saint of French Canadians. 

The area was closed to traffic for a few hours in the afternoon.

People attending the parade told CBC they could hear the train’s bells ringing non-stop throughout the afternoon. 

One participant said they saw the train coming “fairly fast” and heard the train’s brakes screech as it stopped. 

RCMP are investigating.