Drivers told to stay off highways as blizzard leads to crashes across southern Manitoba, massive Fermor pileup [Video]

An emergency alert urged drivers to stay off highways Friday, as a fierce winter storm reduced visibility to near zero in many areas and led to crashes, including pileups, in southern Manitoba.

At least 50 to 60 collisions had been reported on southern Manitoba highways by Friday afternoon, according to RCMP, and dozens of highways were closed, including the Trans-Canada from Winnipeg to Brandon, which remained closed as of late Friday afternoon.

The Southern Health regional health authority declared a code orange at Bethesda Regional Health Centre in Steinbach and Ste. Anne Hospital Friday morning, after a multi-vehicle crash near Ste. Anne, about 45 kilometres southeast of Winnipeg, a Shared Health spokesperson said.

A code orange is called when a hospital needs to prepare for a potential sudden influx of patients.

Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg also issued a code orange alert, warning that a code orange may be called, …