Global News Edmonton and CTV News Calgary have reported:

Three people died and at least 10 were injured in a vehicle fire involving two City of Calgary buses and other vehicles in northeast Calgary on Thursday afternoon. Police said one person suffered life-altering injuries and another sustained serious injuries. A Calgary Police Service member was also slightly injured and taken to hospital.

Emergency crews responded just after 1 p.m. to the 800 block of Saddletowne Circle N.E. Firefighters, EMS, police and transit staff attended. At about 1:30 p.m., police said the intersection of Saddletowne Circle and 80 Avenue N.E. was closed. All access to Saddletowne Circle was shut, with police asking motorists to avoid the area; the closure was expected to last a significant amount of time.

Smoke and flames were seen coming from one transit bus after it appeared to collide with another. Online images and video showed flames and thick black smoke rising from the roof of one bus and the front of a second. Transit union president Mike Mahar said one driver got out immediately, while the driver of the other bus was trapped and had to be extricated. The second driver was taken to hospital, and his condition was unknown.

Mahar said both buses ran on natural gas, with pressure tanks on their roofs. Mayor Jeromy Farkas said earlier Thursday at city hall that he extended his sympathy to the victims and referred other questions to police and fire officials. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.