A grizzly bear is on the loose after attacking a school group in Canada, leaving 11 people injured, two of them critically.
The incident occurred Thursday afternoon on a hiking trail in Bella Coola, British Columbia (BC).
Residents were warned to stay indoors while armed officers tried to track the animal. Four of the injured remained in hospital as of Friday afternoon, according to the British Columbia Health Authority.
A male teacher “took the brunt of it” and some children were sprayed with bear spray as adults tried to fight off the animal, Veronica Schooner, a parent, told The Canadian Press.
Ms. Schooner said her 10-year-old son was part of a school group, although he was not attacked.
“He said the bear ran so close to him, but it was chasing someone else,” she said, adding that “he even felt the bear's fur.”
BC Emergency Medical Services told the BBC that two people were critically injured in the attack, two others were seriously injured, and seven others were treated at the scene.
The patients had to be taken to a nearby airport so they could be airlifted to a nearby hospital, officials said.
The group was from Acwsalcta School, which is run by the Nuxalk First Nation in a remote town 700 km (435 miles) northwest of Vancouver.
“Officers are armed,” The Nation wrote on Facebook. “Stay indoors and away from the highway.”
It added: “It is difficult not to know what to say at this very difficult time. We are so grateful to our team and our students.”
The country's authorities have temporarily closed the school and are offering counseling services.
