Ten people have died in a bus accident returning from a wedding in eastern Australia. According to the police, the accident happened at night near the coastal city of Newcastle, north of Sydney in the state of New South Wales.
The bus with around 40 occupants fell on its side at a roundabout for reasons that are still unclear. A police spokeswoman said 25 of the injured were taken to the hospital by helicopter and ambulance. It is to be feared that there are more victims under the bus.
The 58-year-old bus driver was arrested. The police spokeswoman said he was being investigated on the basis of concrete evidence – she did not give any details. The exact cause and course of the accident were still unclear hours later. According to media reports, the wedding party was on the way back from a winery to their accommodations.
“To have a happy day end with such a devastating loss is terrible,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote on Twitter. The sympathy of all Australians applies to the bereaved of “this cruel bus tragedy”.
