Officials say at least ten people were killed and 15 were injured when a wedding bus crashed in an Australian wine district north of Sydney.
The passengers were returning from a wedding at a vineyard in the Hunter Valley on Sunday night when their coach overturned near Greta.
The 58-year-old bus driver has been charged with ten counts of reckless driving resulting in death.
They stated that they were still working on identifying the deceased.
The newlyweds were not said to be on the bus when it crashed in New South Wales.
The driver, from the northern Sydney suburb of Maitland, has been denied bail and will appear in court in Cessnock on Tuesday.
According to Police Commissioner Karen Webb, the collision location is “still an active crime scene.” “We’ve got forensics officers processing the crime scene, crash investigation unit officers, and rescue officers [on the scene],” she continued.
The collision happened around 23:30 local time [13:30 GMT] on Sunday, when there was considerable fog in the area, according to authorities. The bus had flipped over while turning at a roundabout off a highway. According to authorities, the truck has been pulled upright.
According to Tracy Chapman, acting assistant commissioner of New South Wales Police, the visitors were traveling to Singleton “presumably for their accommodation.” She stated that two of the survivors were rescued from the wreckage. According to local media, at least one of them is still in severe condition.
It is “so cruel, so sad, and so unfair” for a “joyous day in a beautiful place like that to end with such terrible loss of life,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
“People hire buses for weddings in order to keep their guests safe, and that just adds to the unimaginable nature of this tragedy,” he said at a press conference in Canberra.
Mr Albanese stated that some of the injured passengers are being treated at John Hunter Hospital, but that many have been airlifted to Sydney.
The loss of so many lives was described as “nothing short of heartbreaking” by NSW Premier Chris Minns, who added, “For this horrific crash to have occurred on a day that should have been filled with love and happiness only adds to the heartbreak.”
“It is cruel indeed for a day of joy to end in such devastating loss.” “Our hearts go out to those who have been injured,” he added.
The Hunter Valley in New South Wales is well-known for its vineyards and native bushland, making it a popular destination for wine enthusiasts as well as group vacations or celebrations.
A wedding guest described the day as a “fairy tale” until the catastrophe occurred.
“We all started panicking,” he explained to 7 News.
According to police, they are still attempting to identify the collision victims and notify their next of kin.
“Family and friends of a person who may have been on board the bus are urged to contact Cessnock Police Station,” a statement stated.
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