Global Courant
A chartered bus was believed to be transporting guests from a wine estate wedding reception back to their accommodations.
At least 10 people have been killed and 25 injured after a bus carrying a group of wedding guests crashed in Australia.
Police in the eastern state of New South Wales said the accident occurred in the picturesque Hunter Valley wine region at about 11:30 pm (13:30 GMT) on Sunday near Greta, about 180 km (112 mi) northwest of Sydney.
The bus reportedly rolled down a ramp onto a roundabout on a foggy night, although the fog had not been identified as the cause of the crash.
“I understand they had been to a wedding together, I understand they were traveling together… presumably for their accommodation,” NSW Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Tracy Chapman said during a televised media briefing.
Two of the passengers were taken from the crash site by helicopter, Chapman added.
Television showed how the light-colored coach was lying on its side after the accident, while a dozen emergency workers in clearly visible yellow vests were working nearby.
The bus driver, a 58-year-old man, was taken to hospital where he underwent mandatory testing. He is expected to be charged in the accident, police said.
‘He’s under arrest. He was the driver of a motor vehicle collision resulting in fatal injuries and charges will be filed,” Chapman said.
The Hunter Valley and its vineyards are a popular location for short breaks and weddings.
A local mayor said the crashed bus was en route from a wedding reception at a nearby wine estate.
“All Australians waking up to the tragic news of the Hunter send our deepest condolences to the loved ones of those who lost their lives in this horrific bus tragedy,” said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
“It is cruel indeed to end a day of joy in such a devastating loss. Our thoughts are also with those who were injured,” he said in a social media post.
The area is being investigated by specialist forensic police and a Crash Investigation Unit.
The two worst bus accidents in New South Wales were head-on collisions within two months of each other in 1989, each killing 35 and 21 people. Eighteen people died in 1973 when a tourist bus plunged down a slope after a brake failure.
