Three women are dead and another two people are fighting for life following a horrific bus crash in North Queensland.
The shocking collision occurred around 11am on Sunday, when a Greyhound bus carrying 33 people collided with a four-wheel drive towing a caravan on the Bruce Highway.
It happened about 8 kilometres north of the town of Gumlu, with the impact of the crash causing the caravan to embed itself into the side of the bus.
Three passengers of the bus, all women, suffered life-threatening injuries and died, while two men remain in critical conditions in hospital this morning.
A total of 35 people were treated for various injuries, with authorities describing the scene as “confronting” and “challenging”.
Queensland Police Superintendent Graeme Paine said the cause of the collision was still unknown.
“We haven’t determined any factors that have contributed to the crash at this stage, but certainly a crash of this nature involving this many people is a very significant and very tragic incident for us,” Superintendent Paine said.
“The first responders and the community members on scene at the time have done a very significant job in trying to help those who were injured and safeguard the scene, and try and assist those with medical attention.”
Greyhound Australia CEO Dan Smith said staff at the company were “heartbroken” by the deaths of the three passengers, who were travelling from Brisbane to Townsville.
“We are heartbroken that three passengers aboard Greyhound Australia service GX402 have died after a motor vehicle accident at Gumlu in North Queensland today,” he said.
“This is a tragic incident and our deepest sympathies go out to those involved and their families and friends.
“We are working closely with authorities to assist them with their investigation in understanding the course of events that have led to this accident. We are also providing support to members of our team impacted by this tragedy.
“We will provide further updates as more information becomes available and ask that you respect the privacy of those involved at this extremely difficult time.”
The Forensic Crash Unit is investigating.
