Up to ten people have been killed and another 11 seriously injured after a horrific bus crash in the NSW Hunter Valley.
It’s understood the coach had been carrying wedding guests from an earlier wedding when it rolled off the road around 11.30pm on Sunday.
Police say the fatal accident happened on Wine Country Drive, near the Hunter Expressway off-ramp at Greta.
“Initial inquiries indicate 10 people have died and 11 people were transported to hospital via helicopter and road,” NSW Police said in a statement.
18 passengers managed to escape uninjured.
The driver of the bus, a 58-year-old man, has been taken to hospital under police guard for mandatory testing and assessment.
The Cessnock Mayor, Jay Suvaal, described news of the fatal crash as “truly horrific”.
“It’s something that no one wants to wake up to,” he told Channel Nine’s Today Show.
“My thoughts are obviously with the people involved in the accident, but their family and friends, as well as the first responders on scene because it must have been truly horrible for them as well.
“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.
“I think it will send shockwaves right through the broader community. The community, we are a close-knit community and there’ll be massive showings of support, I imagine, throughout the day.”
A crime scene has been established, which will be examined by specialist forensic police and the Crash Investigation Unit today.
