Tragic end to a wedding celebration in Australia: At least ten guests at a wedding celebration died in a bus accident in the popular wine-growing region of the Hunter Valley north of Sydney. According to police on Monday, more than 20 other people were hospitalized with injuries.
According to the police, the accident happened late Sunday evening at an intersection near the small town of Greta. The white coach with 35 passengers on board, returning from a wedding reception at a nearby winery, overturned on its left side and came to rest on the pavement at the entrance to a major roundabout.
Rescuers rushed to the foggy scene and helped take the injured to the hospital. According to police, one injured person was still in mortal danger on Monday. According to authorities, it was the worst traffic accident in Australia in 16 years.
The 58-year-old bus driver was also taken to a hospital for examinations. He was then arrested and taken to the police station at nearby Cessnock. According to the police, they are investigating ten allegations against the driver, including dangerous driving and negligent homicide. The police refused to release him on bail. The man is due to appear in court for the first time on Tuesday.
Police officer Tracy Chapman told journalists that the bus passengers apparently had an accident on the way to their accommodation after the wedding ceremony. The rescue workers had to smash the front window of the bus “to pull people out or to help them out of the bus”. Bodies were still being recovered from the bus hours after the accident. So far, the authorities have assumed that there were no children on the bus.
According to the Australian authorities, it was the most serious traffic accident in Australia since official records began in 2007. Investigators from the criminal police and other specialists were at the scene of the accident on Monday. The police initially did not want to give any information about the cause of the accident. Chapman said no other vehicles appeared to be involved in the accident.
Wedding photos shared on online networks show happy guests at the party standing and celebrating on the lawn of the winery just hours before the accident.
Weddings are among the happiest moments for friends and family, said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. For such a happy day to end “in a beautiful place with such a terrible loss of life and injury” was “cruel, sad and unfair,” he said. He spoke of an “unimaginable tragedy”. The head of government wished the injured a speedy recovery and thanked the emergency services.
With its wineries and national parks, the Hunter Valley region is a popular destination for tourists and day-trippers. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns sent his condolences to the families of the victims. The wedding guests came together to experience a “day of joy” and instead fell into disaster.
