Police are undertaking the grim task of identifying victims as they continue to investigate the horrific crash of a bus carrying wedding guest in the New South Wales’ Hunter Valley on Sunday night.
Ten people have been confirmed killed when a bus rolled, with some 25 others taken to hospital with varying injuries – including one person who remains in a critical condition.
Some of the injured have been released from hospital.
The 58-year-old bus driver was taken into police custody and is in the process of being charged with undisclosed offences.
Emergency services were called to the crash site about 11.30pm on Sunday at a roundabout on Wine Country Drive near Greta after reports the coach had rolled.
Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Tracy Chapman said traffic and highway police, Fire and Rescue NSW and NSW Ambulance were first on the scene and immediately broke the bus windscreen to help survivors.
“It was a fairly frantic scene, a number of passengers we were able to extract from the front windscreen of the bus,” Chapman said.
On Monday afternoon, the bus had been returned to the upright position in a ‘delicate’ operation at the site of the crash.
Ms Chapman said it was possible the death toll would increase if more people were found trapped in the bus or if those with injuries worsened.
“The most complex part of this job ahead for police now is actually accounting for the victims and passengers on the bus,” Ms Chapman said.
“You can imagine the scene that was confronting police when they attended and that many of those people were treated [and] some people were transported to different locations and then re-diverted.”
The bus, a 2009 Volvo B7R with 57 seats, was returning guests from a wedding reception at Wandin Estate winery in Lovedale to Singleton – roughly 30 minutes away – where several media outlets have reported the group is from.
A police source, who was not authorised to speak publicly, told Nine media the driver was not intoxicated, although reports that he was driving erratically are being investigated.
Ms Chapman saids investigators believe they have “an understanding” of those unaccounted for in the crash and are currently speaking to family members to identify all those involved.
Foggy conditions
Cessnock Mayor Jay Suvaal told the ABC conditions were extremely foggy in the area at the time of the accident.
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Some 21 people remained in hospital mid-Monday, according to a spokeswoman for NSW Premier Chris Minns.
One person was in a critical condition at John Hunter Hospital, where eight others are stable, while five patients were in a stable condition at Maitland Hospital, five are stable at Calvary Mater Newcastle and two patients are in a stable condition at Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
Nine of the injured were members of the Melbourne-based Warrandyte Cricket Club, where the groom Mitchell Gaffney played before moving to the Hunter Valley six years ago.
Maddy Edsell, Mr Gaffney’s new bride, played netball for Warrandyte.
Driver unharmed
Ms Chapman said it appeared only one vehicle was involved in the crash and that there was “sufficient information” to charge the driver, who was not seriously injured and taken to Cessnock Police Station.
“He’s been the driver of a motor vehicle collision where there have been fatal injuries and there will be charges pending,” she said.
Ms Chapman said police collected some witness statements last night and were continuing to do so today.
“They’re providing a … witness statement in terms of what they experienced and that will assist us with our inquiries and furthering that investigation,” she said.
Ms Chapman said she understands a number of people who survived the crash were able to free themselves and walk to get help.
Singleton Mayor Sue Moore said the close-knit community and surrounds would be deeply affected by the event.
“If anything could be worse – people attending a wedding, and then on their way home from the wedding. It is just so tragic,” she said.
“It will go on for weeks and months trying to heal from this.”
An investigation into the crash has started, following a large-scale emergency response involving local police, rescue squad and highway patrol officers, ambulance paramedics, NSW Fire and Rescue, and the Rural Fire Service.
The bus was owned by Linq, which provides school bus and event charters, with a fleet of buses which according to its website are all fitted with seat belts.
A crime scene has been established, which will be examined by specialist forensic police and the force’s Crash Investigation Unit.
No children are believed to have been involved in the crash, according to Ms Chapman.
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Mr Minns expressed his condolences to those impacted by the tragedy and said support is being provided.
“I know the whole community of NSW, and in particular the people of the Hunter, will be shocked and saddened to wake up to this news today,” he said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters in Canberra for a day of joy in a beautiful place to end in such devastating loss was cruel and unfair.
“People hire a bus for weddings in order to keep their guests safe and that just adds to the unimaginable nature of this tragedy,” he said.
“The mental scars of this will not go away.
“They are there forever and we need to make sure when the spotlight leaves, the care doesn’t, for people who have witnessed this and poor people who’ve experienced this tragedy first-hand.”
Wandin Estate said it is providing support to guests who need it and wished to maintain the family’s privacy.
“We are deeply saddened to hear of the bus crash overnight that has claimed the lives of some of our guests,” its statement said.
-with AAP
