What we learned today
We’ll be wrapping up the live blog coverage of the Hunter Valley bus crash today – here are the day’s developments:
NSW Police confirmed that 10 people are deceased – nine at the scene, and one later in hospital.
There are still 14 people in hospital. Two people at RPA have had surgeries and two are in ICU. Injuries range from lacerations to fractures.
There were no children on the bus. Victims were aged from their 20s to 60s.
NSW Police alleged that bus driver Brett Button was “driving in a manner that was inconsistent with the conditions”.
Button was released on bail. He has been charged with 10 counts of dangerous driving occasioning death and one further count of negligent driving in relation to all 10 deaths.
Tributes from family, friends and communities poured in as victims of the crash started being identified.
Cessnock and Singleton opened drop-in clinics for mental health support.
NSW seatbelt laws were brought under scrutiny by experts.
Thank you for staying with us through tragic news.
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Tributes for victims continue
We mentioned Rebecca Mullen earlier, a junior doctor at Calvary Mater hospital in Newcastle, who died in the crash on Sunday night.
Her colleagues at Calvary Mater treated some of those injured in the same crash.
Mullen, like many at the wedding, was a keen sportswoman. She ran, played football, and kayaked and hiked. Her old football club, the Armidale-based New England Nomads, has posted a statement to its Facebook page:
We are extremely saddened by the tragic news that one of our former players Bec Mullen died in the bus crash in the Hunter on Sunday. Bec was an extremely active member of the club, a wonderfully talented sportswoman and a friend to all who knew her. We offer our sincere condolences to her friends and family.
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Some photos of Brett Button leaving Cessnock police station after being granted bail, two from our own Mike Bowers.
Warning against donating to fake GoFundMe drives
Alex Tigani, deputy editor of the Hunter River Times who was MC at the Hunter Valley wedding and was on the bus that crashed, has issued a community alert warning people against donating to fake GoFundMe pages:
After Sunday’s tragedy there are multiple GoFundMe pages which are circulating across social media. These are not official.
The official GoFundMe page is currently being set up by the Singleton Roosters AFC. We will share it on our page.
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Driver Brett Andrew Button released on bail
Brett Andrew Button has left Cessnock police station on bail.
He left the police station holding a Coles bag, and clutching his hooded jumper tightly around his face.
Button walked briskly to the car which was waiting for him outside the gates at the back of the police station.
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A mother and daughter from Singleton, a young athlete and a former footballer with “a big heart” have been named among the wedding guests unaccounted for after the Hunter Valley bus crash.
Read the full story on communities paying tribute to victims of the crash from Christopher Knaus here:
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Health minister pays tribute to junior doctor who died in bus crash
Rebecca Mullen, a junior doctor based at Calvary Mater hospital, is among those who died in the bus crash.
The tragedy will be doubly hard to take for her colleagues at the hospital, based in Newcastle, where some of those injured in the crash are being treated. The state’s health minister, Ryan Park, said news that NSW Health had lost one of its own made a dark day even darker.
Park said:
Our focus now is on putting all of our support around her family, loved ones and her friends. This has made a very dark day even darker for New South Wales Health. We’ve lost one of our own, someone who was obviously going to have a long and illustrious career in medicine has been taken way too early and on behalf of the New South Wales community, obviously the premier and myself, I express our deepest condolences to her family, her friends and her loved ones on what it will be a very, very, very sad day in a very very sad weeks and months ahead.
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We’ve just seen Button’s supporters who arrived earlier now leave the court house with a piece of paper and take the pathway which will lead them to the front of the police station.
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Brett Button set to exit police station
The modern silver Cessnock police station is directly behind the old brown brick pillared courthouse, connected through the short covered passage Brett Andrew Button passed through this morning.
Media is waiting behind the police station, where we believe Button will soon be exiting through its big black gates.
Cessnock Police Station’s back gates, next to the Court House pic.twitter.com/93t1VyN2vu
— Natasha May (@natasha__may) June 13, 2023
We’ve seen Button’s supporters return to the courthouse so we’re expecting him to be released on bail shortly.
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Emergency workers describe being confronted by bus carnage
Within 45 minutes of the first emergency call, NSW Ambulance commander Luke Wiseman was at the Hunter Valley crash scene, AAP reports.
“It was a complex operation,” he told Sydney radio station 2GB today.
“Unfortunately, as we all know, not everyone could be released.”
Emergency service workers smashed the front windscreen and used airbags to elevate the bus to free survivors.
Multiple people were on the bus and emergency services were “really, really pressured”.
The isolated location made it more challenging. Helicopters were unable to land close by due to the thickening fog.
Wiseman said one of the first arriving on the scene was a young paramedic undergoing training.
“She had just completed her duty,” he said. “It was within the first 15 minutes of her drive home that she actually came across the incident.”
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Speaking outside Cessnock police station after a bus crash that killed 10 people and injured more than 20, New South Wales police superintendent David Waddell says 14 of those injured remain in hospital.
Watch the full video here:
Bus driver ‘happy to be going home’, says lawyer
Brett Button’s lawyer, Chris O’Brien, told reporters leaving the court that his client was “happy to be going home”.
“He’s doing OK under the circumstances ... In all of the circumstances he’s holding up well.”
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Sydney Women’s AFL Masters community ‘shocked and saddened’
The Sydney Women’s AFL Masters social competition said its community was “shocked and saddened” by the deaths of Nadene McBride and her daughter Kyah, who both played their football in Singleton.
Our thoughts and sympathy extend to all the friends, families and team mates of Nads and Kyah and the Singleton football community. Please reach out to each other for support.
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‘We adored him’: statement issued on behalf of family of Kane ‘Superman’ Symons
The Carlton Park Surf Life Saving Club, based in Tasmania, has issued a statement on behalf of the family of Kane Symons, who was among those on the bus.
President Christine Gaby said:
CPSLSC are heartbroken to hear of the tragic passing of Kane Symons in the Hunter Valley bus tragedy. We send our love and support to Steve, Sarn and Jaimie. Kane, otherwise known as ‘Superman’ was an amazing athlete who competed at the highest level. But more than that he was a leader, a great bloke and a mate to many. We adored him and he will be truly missed.
Symons was also a footballer playing in Singleton at the time of the crash and had been named in the AFL Hunter Central Coast men’s squad just four days ago. His girlfriend, Kyah McBride, had been named in the same team’s women’s squad on the same day. She is also among those unaccounted for.
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Friends and sporting clubs pay tribute to bus crash victims
Friends and sporting clubs are paying tribute to the victims of the Hunter Valley’s horror bus crash, which included a mother and daughter from nearby Singleton, a young athlete described as “a great bloke and a mate to many”, and a former footballer with “a big heart and willingness to help anyone”.
Their respective football and lifesaving clubs issued statements via their Facebook pages overnight, paying tribute to Nadene McBride and her daughter Kyah, footballers from nearby Singleton, Kane Symons, a local footballer and lifesaver previously from Tasmania, and former footballer Andrew Scott and his wife Lynan Scott, from Queensland.
Queensland’s Redland-Victoria Point Sharks Football Club described Andrew Scott, known as Chisel, as a “terrific member of our community both on and off the field”.
The football community is mourning the loss of former player Andrew Scott and wife Lynan who passed away in the Hunter Valley this week.
Chisel, as he was known, played for the Bombers in 2014 alongside his brother Luke. He also was a longtime player at QAFL level with Mt Gravatt where he was part of the Vultures’ 2007 Premeirship team.
He was a terrific member of our community both on and off the field and was characterised by his big heart and willingness to help anyone.
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Driver’s release delayed while family collect passport for surrendering
Button’s release has been delayed because family have to get his passport, which he has been asked to give up, and the driver lives 40 minutes away.
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Driver’s family visibly distressed while leaving courtroom
Button’s family sat in the gallery in court during his hearing, hanging on every word being spoke, often biting their lips, one member with his elbows leaning against the rail clasping his hands.
They would not have been able to see Button who was in the box which had a large wooden frame, blocking the view of the accused from the gallery.
Despite Button being granted bail, the family were visibly distressed leaving the courtroom, with at least two female members of the family crying.
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Magistrate considered driver’s children and medical concerns when granting bail
In granting bail, magistrate Robyn Richardson considered Button’s need to provide family support to his two children.
Richardson also considered the defence’s medical concerns for Button. She said she was mindful of Button’s medical needs, including an impending doctor’s appointment.
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Magistrate lays out bail conditions
Brett Andrew Button has been granted bail in Cessnock courthouse.
Magistrate Robyn Richardson granted the bail on conditions that Button:
be under curfew from 8pm – 6am
report to police three times a week
surrender his passport
not occupy the driver’s seat of a vehicle, noting his licence had already been suspended
not apply for travel documents
not drink alcohol or take non-prescription drugs
Richardson noted despite the strong prosecution case “bail should not be denied as a punishment”.
Richardson said:
It’s clear to this court he suffers along with the rest of the community ... I see before me a man suffering.
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Bus driver granted bail
The driver of the wedding bus which crashed in the Hunter Valley and killed 10 has been granted bail.
Fifty-eight-year-old Brett Button will be released.
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Driver appears in Cessnock courthouse
The accused sits with his bald head bowed for most of his appearance in court.
His handcuffed hands are clasped in his lap as he sits in the barred wooden box in the centre of the Cessnock’s courthouse.
He only occasionally looks over his glasses at the magistrate who will decide if he will receive bail.
He is wearing a black hoodie and black pants. He occasionally shuffles his black rubber-soled shoes.
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Mayor says Singleton community struggling to come to terms with tragedy
Sue Moore, mayor of Singleton Shire Council, says the community is struggling to come to terms with the deaths of locals in the Hunter Valley bus crash.
I understand seven of the victims are from Singleton - so, struggling still, coming to terms with it. The wider community as well as the families, obviously. The wedding couple. The people that are still in hospital with injuries. It’s – it’s just so widespread. You don’t know which angle to go at first.
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Road laws in New South Wales require all bus passengers to use seatbelts if the vehicle is fitted with them, but experts say compliance is a grey area and question whether belts could have prevented all 10 deaths in Sunday’s Hunter Valley crash.
Read the full story by Elias Visontay here:
Community gather outside Cessnock courthouse
The media and community members are gathering outside Cessnock courthouse. The small regional courthouse is full and people are being turned away.
The driver of the wedding bus, Brett Button, will be led from Cessnock police station through the tunnel connected to the courthouse just behind.
The community members are largely silent, standing arms folded and hands in pockets.
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Here are some shots from the latest press conference by Guardian Australia’s Mike Bowers, who has been on the ground in the Hunter with Natasha May.
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PM describes bus crash as a ‘tragedy beyond belief’
Prime minister Anthony Albanese says the Hunter Valley bus crash is a “tragedy beyond belief” in conversation with James Valentine on ABC Sydney Breakfast Radio this morning.
It’s just such a horrific incident to occur. People associate weddings with love and lifelong commitments and celebrations with family and friends. And for it to end in this horrific tragedy, with so many deaths, so many injuries … Of course, the scars will last for such a long, long period of time.
It is going to be very difficult for the communities involved, the two sporting teams involved as well. It is just a tragedy beyond belief.
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Support for Hunter community must continue long after crash, premier says
More from Chris Minns on ABC News this morning. The NSW premier says support for the community must continue “once the immediate glare” of the Hunter Valley bus crash “moves on”.
It doesn’t happen everyday and this is one of the worst accidents the state has seen in decades.
I am really focused on ensuring that once the immediate glare of this terrible, terrible tragedy moves on, that the government and the community is still there for those who need it and the immediate responsibility is to help families that have lost a loved one, support our emergency service workers and heal those that are still in hospital.
There’s still 14 people who are in hospitals across the Hunter and in Sydney. We need to get them back on their feet as soon as possible.
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Bus driver driving in a manner ‘inconsistent with the conditions’
Superintendent David Waddell alleges the 58-year-old male driver of the bus was driving in a manner “inconsistent with the conditions”.
Waddell alleges the driver “entered that roundabout driving in a manner that was inconsistent with the conditions”. He alleges that “the speed was too quick for him to negotiate that roundabout, causing the vehicle to fall on to its left side and cause those injuries”.
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Driver identified
The bus driver, identified as Brett Andrew Button in court listing released this morning, was refused bail and will face Cessnock local court at 9am today.
Seatbelts ‘legally required’ if bus is fitted with them, premier says
NSW premier Chris Minns says “law changes” to do with safety on buses have been recommended.
We will be in constant communication with New South Wales police, there’s recommendation made to us about law changes in relation to safety on buses or coaches or in cars and vans in NSW, we’ll of course take action.
Minns says if there are seatbelts on coaches in NSW, “you are legally responsible to wear them”.
I’m not going to comment of the last 24 hours, but obviously those inquiries are ongoing.
It’s always the driver of the vehicle whose responsibility it is to ensure that there’s enforcement with the law and to re-enforce the point. If there’s seatbelts on a coach or a bus, you are legally required to wear them.
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‘This is going to be a traumatic few weeks,’ says NSW premier
NSW premier Chris Minns tells ABC News there was an influx of trauma patients to John Hunter hospital in the middle of Sunday night.
I was at John Hunter hospital yesterday speaking to the emergency department there that had to deal with obviously an influx of trauma patients in the middle of the night on Sunday night.
This is going to be a traumatic few weeks, perhaps even worse than the initial shock of learning of the disaster on Sunday night.
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One patient in a critical but stable condition
A NSW Health spokesperson has confirmed that, as of 6am today, one patient from the Hunter Valley bus crash is in a critical but stable condition.
Eight patients are in a stable condition at John Hunter hospital, two patients are in a stable condition at Maitland hospital, and two patients are in a stable condition at Royal Prince Alfred hospital. Another patient is in stable condition at Calvary Mater Newcastle.
“NSW Health extends its deepest sympathies to the families, friends and loved ones of those who died and were injured in a bus crash in the state’s Hunter region,” the spokesperson says.
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Mental health support for community 'in a state of shock'
Cessnock City Council mayor Jay Suvaal says the community of the Hunter Valley bus crash are in a state of shock.
It’s still a bit of a state of shock, waking up yesterday to the horrible news that we saw. And today we’re now waking up to learn more about the victims involved and sadly knowing that quite a number of them are actually from our neighbouring community of Singleton.
So, that sort of makes it even more devastating.
We are a really close-knit community.
Suvaal tells ABC News Breakfast he has worked with the mayor of Singleton “to make sure that both of our communities are supported during this difficult time”.
Drop-in clinics are available at the Singleton youth venue from 9am, and at the Branxton Community Hall from 10am, today. Disaster recovery officers and chaplains will be providing mental health support, “which is really needed here”, Suvaal says.
“People will be able to just come in, that have been affected by this, and talk to someone.”
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Identifying victims to take ‘the next few days’
Superintendent David Waddell says the process of identifying victims will take “the next few days”:
We’ll work through that disaster victim identification process over the next few days. Our investigators, our family liaison officers, are speaking to the families and the victims. We are in contact.
That process will continue throughout the investigation and throughout the court process.
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Police to conduct mechanical investigation of bus
A crime scene investigation is under way at the site of the crash in Cessnock. Superintendent David Waddell confirms a mechanical investigation of the bus will be conducted today.
We’ll conduct a mechanical investigation of the vehicle today … The whole conditions will be examined as part of the investigation.
The vehicle was removed late last night.
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Victims aged from 20s to 60s
Superintendent David Waddell confirms there were no children on the bus.
We’ve got people in the range from 20s to 60s, males to females, local and interstate, as you expect, when people travel far for a funeral – sorry, for a wedding.
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Superintendent David Waddell describes the scene in Cessnock as traumatic:
Some of our police are visibly distraught. It was a very chaotic scene.
Obviously we have good processes and as the emergency services comes together we have worked well and it’s been a very thorough investigation and we’ll continue to do that. But at the time, the initial response, was quite chaotic for those attending police and other emergency services.
It’s a traumatic event for all the family, all the friends, from what was a wedding, where people come from wide and far.
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'Minor to very serious injuries'
NSW police are addressing the press at Cessnock this morning.
Superintendent David Waddell confirms that 10 people are deceased – nine at the scene, and one later died in hospital.
“I see there’s been speculation about the identity of those 10 persons,” Waddell says. “We cannot confirm the identity of those 10 victims.”
A total of 25 people were taken to hospital. 12 of those people have since been released. There are still have 14 in hospital. Two are in ICU. Two people at RPA have had surgeries.
“The injuries range from lacerations to breaks and fractures. There’s minor injuries to very serious injuries with two in ICU.”
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Jess Wishart and her two children came home early from their long weekend camping trip at Lake Liddell.
Wishart said it “just didn’t feel right” staying any longer after waking up to the news that 10 people had died in a wedding bus crash near their home town of Branxton.
Another local Georgia Bainbridge was up late on Sunday night watching a movie when she heard “all the sirens and all the commotion going on”.
“We don’t know who was involved in the accident, who’s hurt, who’s not, you know – but so many people are already reaching out to everyone, sending their love, sending condolences.”
Bainbridge and Wishart came to lay flowers on Monday afternoon at the roundabout where the crash occurred.
Read the full story from Natasha May here:
Premier: ‘Everyone was doing the right thing’ which adds to the devastation
More from the NSW premier, Chris Minns, on Sunrise:
The organisers of this wedding did exactly the right thing. They had a destination wedding, they had a bus on hand so people wouldn’t drink and drive or be tempted to drink and drive. Everyone was doing the right thing here and many people have lost their lives.
I think that adds to the devastation that people are feeling this morning.
Minns says the tight-knit communities of Singleton and Cessnock are “going to need a hand from the state and the community”.
An emergency response centre for counselling is being set up in Singleton, and trauma counsellors and NSW Health workers will be at the centre from 9am this morning.
“… Many people have lost their lives and this is a terrible accident in a community that’s generally known as a place of happiness and joy, the Hunter Valley.”
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'Trauma that will last', premier says
The NSW premier Chris Minns addresses the Hunter Valley bus crash on Sunrise this morning:
Certainly we haven’t seen it in many decades in NSW and it’s a trauma that will last, unfortunately.
Minns describes “severe trauma in Greta and Cessnock yesterday afternoon”.
He says some emergency service workers first on the scene had been working from midnight, and had been asked to go home by their commanders but they weren’t leaving until the job had been completed.
That won’t surprise many people, they know exactly what our firefighters, ambulance officers and police officers are made of.
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Mitchell Gaffney and Maddy Edsell had a “beautiful ceremony”, hours before a bus carrying weddings guests who attended overturned on the Hunter expressway.
Read the full report by Christopher Knaus and Caitlin Cassidy here:
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Good morning
After Sunday night’s tragic wedding bus crash in the Hunter Valley, stunned locals are still anxiously waiting for details of how the accident occurred and official confirmation of who was among the victims.
The driver of the bus, a 58-year-old man from Maitland, will appear in court in Cessnock this morning charged with 10 counts of causing death by dangerous driving. The Guardian will be in court and will have the details as they emerge.
We are also expecting a police press conference within the next few hours with the latest updates.
In the meantime, here is an explainer with what we know so far.
