Investigators are yet to determine what caused a horrific crash between a Greyhound bus and a car towing a caravan that left three women dead and dozens more injured.
The collision occurred on the Bruce Highway near the Wilson Creek Rest Area, between Gumlu and Wangaratta, in northern Queensland, at 12.50pm on Sunday.
Some 33 people were on the inter-city Greyhound bus travelling between Bowen and Townsville. Two people were in the 4WD that was towing the caravan.
The three women killed, and 27 passengers injured were all on board the bus, with those inside the 4WD unharmed.
Two men, aged 23 and 24, remain fighting for their lives on Monday morning, while details of the deceased are yet to be released.
Queensland Police Superintendent Graeme Paine said investigators will be interviewing more witnesses as they work to determine the cause of the crash.
‘We’ve collected a significant amount of evidence from the scene. As we process that evidence and interview further witnesses, we anticipate getting a clearer picture of exactly how it occurred,’ he told Sunrise on Monday morning, adding specialist crash investigators have already forensically examined the scene.
Superintendent Paine declined to confirm whether the bus was at fault, but said all passengers would have by law been required to be wearing seatbelts.
‘The passengers are required to wear them. That will be one of the aspects we look at throughout the investigation,’ he said.
He added the scene of the crash was ‘very confronting’ for everyone involved.
‘I also want to acknowledge the role that the members of the public on the scene played in assisting and treating some of those injured people,’ he said.
‘It was a very significant and very confronting incident.
‘With any incident like this, the initial response is very chaotic and very complex. Being in a situation like this is incredibly challenging.’
Shocking photos from the aftermath show the cabin of the caravan embedded into the front of the bus, which had been pushed onto nearby train tracks.
It’s understood 27 people were treated for various injuries, while the bus driver managed to walk away seriously unharmed, sustaining just minor head injuries.
Other passengers were reportedly trapped in the bus wreckage.
Two men taken to hospital, aged 27 and 51, were listed stable on Sunday night.
Another man, 64, and two women, 23 and 63, were discharged from hospital on Sunday night.
A triage system was set up at the scene due to the number of victims, while a Queensland Government Air rescue helicopter and a RACQ Helicopter Rescue Service were also deployed.
The bus departed Brisbane at 12pm on Saturday and was expected to arrive in Townsville at 12.10pm on Sunday.
The speed limit on the Bruce Highway where the crash occurred was 100km/hour.
The highway has since reopened.