Three women have died, four people are fighting for life and dozens more have been injured following a horrific crash in North Queensland.
A Greyhound bus collided with a car towing a caravan along the Bruce Highway near the Wilson Creek Rest Area, between Gumlu and Wangaratta, 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 car that was towing the caravan.
The force of the crash left the bus resting on train tracks with emergency services racing to the scene.
Queensland Ambulance Service confirmed multiple people are being treated with at least 24 passengers suffering minor injuries.
A triage system has been set up due to the number of victims.
A Queensland Government Air rescue helicopter and a RACQ Helicopter Rescue Service were sent to the scene.
Three Royal Flying Doctor Service planes are on standby.
Six of the injured passengers have been transported to Ayr Hospital and one flown to Townsville University Hospital.
Some of the passengers on the bus had been trapped in the wreckage, the Courier Mail reported.
The bus driver is understood to have escaped with minor head injuries while two occupants were unharmed.
The ABC reported the bus departed Brisbane at 12pm on Saturday and was expected to arrive in Townsville at 12:10pm on Sunday.
A QAS spokesman described the scene as chaotic and challenging.
‘Paramedics are on scene assessing several people with life-threatening injuries following reports of a two-vehicle crash involving a bus on the Bruce Highway north of Bowen,’ he said.
‘Motorists are advised the Bruce Highway is closed in both directions, and to expect long delays.’
Motorists travelling between Ayr and Bowen are being urged to avoid the area or expect long delays.
The Forensic Crash Unit is investigating.
Queensland Police Superintendent Graeme Paine has provided an update, confirming the three deceased people are female.
No other details about the deceased have been released.
Superintendent Graeme Paine praised the work of first responders and members of the community.
‘The first responders and the community members on scene at the time have done a very significant job in trying to help those who are injured and safeguard the scene,’ he said.
Superintendent Paine said he is not aware of any injuries to the people in the vehicle towing the caravan.
‘The three deceased and those injured, as I’m advised, were all from the bus,’ he said.
‘I don’t have any details on the bus driver at this stage.’
Superintendent Paine urged travellers to ‘please plan your journey’.
‘And please take the opportunity to be aware and cognisant of all those things so you can arrive at your destination safely.’
He said the investigation into the cause of the crash is in the early stages.
‘We have a number of specialists on scene that will work through the incident scene,’ he says.
‘They’ll forensically process the evidence and then we’ll look at that.’
Superintendent Paine urged anyone affected by the horrific incident to reach out for help.
‘I just want to take the opportunity to say that if anyone needs any help or needs any assistance trying to deal with an incident that is this significant, please reach out,” he says.
‘The impacts from this will be felt right throughout the community.’
Daily Mail contacted QAS for comment.
More to come