The B.C. man who warned of trouble at a dam days before it failed and caused a landslide near Oliver says the government needs to take full responsibility for the catastrophe.
Five homes, 10 buildings and 50 acres of orchards and vineyards were destroyed in the slide on Sunday. Nearby residents had to run for their lives.
But two days before disaster struck, Hal Krieger noticed that the dam on Testalinden Lake was overflowing while hiking through the area, and reported it.
"It could have been prevented if they got up there on Friday or even Saturday. I think they could have diverted it and repaired the dam itself, so this didn't have to happen in my view," Krieger told CTV News.
His concerns were forwarded to the RCMP, who in turn let the provincial government know through the local Ministry of Forests office.
But it seems that no action was taken.
"I'm not impressed whatsoever. I'm totally ticked off over that. Somebody should at least have taken a truck and had a quick look," Krieger said.
In Victoria, the opposition NDP is claiming negligence on the part of the government.
"The reports from the hikers should have been checked out. We're not talking about a pothole here. We're talking about a dam that holds back water," public safety critic Mike Farnworth told CTV News.
Solicitor General Mike de Jong has ordered an investigation.
"It's not just about the info that may have been conveyed on Friday. Were all other procedures followed according to the law and according to the terms of the water licence?" de Jong explained.
But Krieger says the government needs to take full responsibility for what happened.
"I think that people who have lost their land, their houses -- they should be compensated for what they lost," he said.
The government has promised that people whose property was lost or destroyed in the slide will qualify for funds through the Disaster Financial Assistance program. It has also ordered an inspection of dams across the province.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Kent Molgat
