Bridge collapses in Merritt, B.C., as some residents defy evacuation orders over looting fears

VANCOUVER -

Dozens of Merritt, B.C., residents have defied evacuation orders over fears about looters, as floodwaters have filled the town with sewage-contaminated water and already caused one bridge to collapse.

One of those families was rescued from a rooftop Tuesday afternoon, as North Shore Rescue crews flew by helicopter from the Lower Mainland to help. In an Instagram post, the volunteer group said they rescued a family of three and their dog who were surrounded by water.

On Tuesday morning, residents woke up to a three-centimetre blanket of snowfall over the town, which has a population of about 7,200 but was largely empty in the wake of an evacuation order, save for a few holdouts, recovery crews and engineers.

“More than half the town’s gone, it seems like an opening door for come take what you want,” said Darsell Poittris, describing being up for half the night watching out for looters.

“Every (accommodation) we called was sold out so where do you go? I’d rather be in my house having these issues than in my car with my animals and my kids.”

The B.C. RCMP told CTV News authorities haven’t had any reports of looting taking place and officers are patrolling to ensure the safety of people and property, but the rumours and concerns persist.

"You got bad people out there that are looting, unfortunately,” said resident Sean Cainey, who described widespread confusion and an information vacuum.

“I have one of the lowest properties on the street, thankfully the water stayed on the other side of the road. That's why I decided to stay, to be here to help everybody I can and inform people of everything.”

The residents have been sharing supplies, but food is becoming scarce and they have no easy source of drinkable water except what’s bottled and available at the local gas station.

SOME DESTRUCTION CONFIRMED, MORE UNKNOWN

Civic officials are pleading for people to leave and stay away, with the town’s failed sewage treatment plant contaminating floodwaters and making tap water unsafe to drink.

There are also safety concerns around damaged infrastructure, with one bridge near Colletville on the south side of the town collapsing overnight.

"As a result we're not confident about the structural of any bridge in the city,” said Greg Lowis with the City of Merritt. “We are contacting structural bridge engineers and arranging for them to do inspections and find out how safe they are."

That won't happen until the waters have receded, however. In the meantime, Lowis said, "no one should be using any bridge in Merritt."

That message was echoed by the chair of the Thompson Nicola Regional District, who warned displaced residents to brace for the worst.

“It is so overwhelming. There's so much area under water, so many homes have been flooded, businesses that have been flooded," said Ken Gillis. “Nobody really knows what the extent of the damage is and we're going to have to wait for a few more days, I’m afraid, until the water recedes sufficiently for people to get an idea of how much damage has been done, but certainly it's been devastating for homeowners."

PUBLIC SAFETY MINISTER RESPONDS

CTV News asked Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth to address Merritt residents who were so concerned about their homes and finding alternate accommodations, they were willing to risk the dangerous conditions and violating an evacuation order to stay put.

"The RCMP are on patrol, they are in the communities that they are protecting so they are very much alive to the concerns and situations of residents,” said Farnworth. “People should have every confidence the RCMP are there in their communities protecting life and protection property.”

Farnworth emphasized there are support centers and facilities set up for evacuees in more than 20 communities across the province, so there are several options for people to stay safely with meals and other supports.

However, dozens of road closures are hampering travellers and evacuees alike as debris, water and mudslides have made them impassable.