CANBERRA, Australia — At least 10 people were killed and 11 others were hospitalized after a bus crashed early Monday in Australia, authorities said.
The bus rolled over on a roundabout near the Hunter Expressway in New South Wales, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported.
The accident happened just after 11:30 p.m. in the town of Greta, according to police.
Australia bus crash: Ten people killed and 11 injured https://t.co/RX4yGbwe5o
— Sky News (@SkyNews) June 11, 2023
Officials said that 18 passengers on the bus were not injured, SkyNews reported.
The bus driver, a 58-year-old man, was taken to an area hospital under police guard for mandatory testing and assessment, according to ABC.
“A crime scene has been established, which will be examined by specialist forensic police and the Crash Investigation Unit,” police said in a statement. “An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash has commenced.”
Australian media outlets reported that the vehicle was a wedding bus, according to The Associated Press.
Jay Suvaal, the mayor of the nearby city of Cessnock, said the crash was “truly horrific.”
“We are a major wedding and tourist destination in the Hunter Valley, and so there will be people from all over the state and the country that have been to these areas and have probably done similar things,” Suvaal told 9 News. “I think it will send shockwaves right through the broader community.”
