OTTAWA (Reuters)

Landslides triggered by heavy rain have trapped the occupants of between 80 and 100 vehicles in the western Canadian province of British Columbia and people may have to be airlifted out, a top official said on Monday (November 15).

“The situation is dynamic … it is very difficult weather,” provincial public safety minister Mike Farnworth told reporters.

Some areas received eight inches (200 mm) of rain on Sunday and heavy rain continued to fall on Monday, with roads covered by up to 10 inches of water.

The vehicles are trapped between landslides on Highway 7 near the town of Agassiz, about 120 kilometres east of Vancouver.

“Search and rescue teams have been deployed to assist and we are looking at the possibility of air rescue if needed. High winds may challenge these efforts,” said Farnworth.

In addition, some 2,000 people have been evacuated from the town of Merritt – some 200 kilometres northeast of Vancouver – and the entire community of 7,100 might have to leave.

Gales are due to hit the area later, most likely causing power outages, officials told reporters.

The storm is the second weather-related calamity to hit the Pacific province in just a few months. In late June, temperatures hit a record high, prompting blazes that destroyed one town.