One person has died and 11 people were injured in a multi-vehicle collision in Orillia, Ont., on Friday, Ontario Provincial Police say.

Orillia Fire Chief Chris Ferry said about 50 vehicles were involved. 

The crash, which happened just after 9 a.m. on Friday, has shut down sections of Highway 11 “for the foreseeable future,” says an OPP release Friday afternoon. 

Efforts are underway, however, to reopen the highway, the OPP said later in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

The release says the person who died was 49 years old. The 11 injured were taken to a local hospital and the extent of their injuries is not known, the OPP said in the post.

Northbound lanes of Highway 11 are closed between Highway 400 and Coldwater Road, while southbound lanes are closed between County Road 169 to Line 15 in Oro Medonte, Ont. 

There are also several smaller closures on surrounding roads, outlined in this post by the OPP. 

“We are asking all of the public to avoid all unnecessary travel on the roadways where visibility conditions are poor,” said OPP Acting Sgt. Jake Daynes in a video posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. 

It’s still unclear how many separate collisions took place.

“For those involved in the Highway 11 collision, we are opening up the Rotary Place … here in Orillia,” said Daynes. “It’s being utilized as a warming centre.” 

Ferry, the Orillia fire chief, says about 50 people are sheltering at the Rotary Place. 

Tow truck driver Sonny Subra was not involved in a collision, but says his vehicle got stuck on Highway 11 near the crash. 

“It was very slippery. I tried to control my vehicle and then parked on the right shoulder,” he said in an interview with the CBC. 

“There’s multiple transport trucks involved — like, eight or nine transport trucks. There’s people injured. This is a mess,” he said.

Subra later posted videos of people leaving their trapped cars behind to get in a bus, while others are picked up in an ambulance. 

The Orillia area is under a snow squall warning on Friday, with Environment Canada warning about hazardous travel conditions and poor visibility. 

The OPP says they are also dealing with other collisions in the area, and “numerous surrounding roads are experiencing heavy call volume” as well.