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Hunter Valley bus crash updates: two passengers still in intensive care, police reveal; driver to face court | Hunter Valley bus crash
‘Minor to very serious injuries’
NSW police are addressing the press at Cessnock this morning.
Superintendent David Waddell confirms that 10 people are deceased – nine at the scene, and one later died in hospital.
“I see there’s been speculation about the identity of those 10 persons,” Waddell says. “We cannot confirm the identity of those 10 victims.”
A total of 25 people were taken to hospital. 12 of those people have since been released. There are still have 14 in hospital. Two are in ICU. Two people at RPA have had surgeries.
“The injuries range from lacerations to breaks and fractures. There’s minor injuries to very serious injuries with two in ICU.”
A crime scene investigation is underway at the site of the crash in Cessnock. Superintendent David Waddell confirms a mechanical investigation of the bus will be conducted today. “We’ll conduct a mechanical investigation of the vehicle today … The whole conditions will be examined as part of the investigation.” The vehicle was removed late last night. Superintendent David Waddell confirms there were no children on the bus. “We’ve got people in the range from 20s to 60s, males to females, local and interstate, as you expect, when people travel far for a funeral – sorry, for a wedding.” Superintendent David Waddell describes the scene in Cessnock as traumatic: “Some of our police are visibly distraught. It was a very chaotic scene.” “Obviously we have good processes and as the emergency services comes together we have worked well and it’s been a very thorough investigation and we’ll continue to do that. But at the time, the initial response, was quite chaotic for those attending police and other emergency services.” “It’s a traumatic event for all the family, all the friends, from what was a wedding, where people come from wide and far.” NSW police are addressing the press at Cessnock this morning. Superintendent David Waddell confirms that 10 people are deceased – nine at the scene, and one later died in hospital. “I see there’s been speculation about the identity of those 10 persons,” Waddell says. “We cannot confirm the identity of those 10 victims.” A total of 25 people were taken to hospital. 12 of those people have since been released. There are still have 14 in hospital. Two are in ICU. Two people at RPA have had surgeries. “The injuries range from lacerations to breaks and fractures. There’s minor injuries to very serious injuries with two in ICU.” Jess Wishart and her two children came home early from their long weekend camping trip at Lake Liddell. Wishart said it “just didn’t feel right” staying any longer after waking up to the news that 10 people had died in a wedding bus crash near their home town of Branxton. Another local Georgia Bainbridge was up late on Sunday night watching a movie when she heard “all the sirens and all the commotion going on”. “We don’t know who was involved in the accident, who’s hurt, who’s not, you know – but so many people are already reaching out to everyone, sending their love, sending condolences.” Bainbridge and Wishart came to lay flowers on Monday afternoon at the roundabout where the crash occurred. Read the full story from Natasha May here: Premier: ‘Everyone was doing the right thing’ which adds to the devastation More from the NSW premier, Chris Minns, on Sunrise: The organisers of this wedding did exactly the right thing. They had a destination wedding, they had a bus on hand so people wouldn’t drink and drive or be tempted to drink and drive. Everyone was doing the right thing here and many people have lost their lives. Minns says the tight-knit communities of Singleton and Cessnock are “going to need a hand from the state and the community”. An emergency response centre for counselling is being set up in Singleton, and trauma counsellors and NSW Health workers will be at the centre from 9am this morning. “… Many people have lost their lives and this is a terrible accident in a community that’s generally known as a place of happiness and joy, the Hunter Valley.” The NSW premier Chris Minns addresses the Hunter Valley bus crash on Sunrise this morning: Certainly we haven’t seen it in many decades in NSW and it’s a trauma that will last, unfortunately. Minns describes “severe trauma in Greta and Cessnock yesterday afternoon”. He says some emergency service workers first on the scene had been working from midnight, and had been asked to go home by their commanders but they weren’t leaving until the job had been completed.
That won’t surprise many people, they know exactly what our firefighters, ambulance officers and police officers are made of. Mitchell Gaffney and Maddy Edsell had a “beautiful ceremony”, hours before a bus carrying weddings guests who attended overturned on the Hunter expressway. Read the full report by Christopher Knaus and Caitlin Cassidy here: After Sunday night’s tragic wedding bus crash in the Hunter Valley, stunned locals are still anxiously waiting for details of how the accident occurred and official confirmation of who was among the victims. The driver of the bus, a 58-year-old man from Maitland, will appear in court in Cessnock this morning charged with 10 counts of causing death by dangerous driving. The Guardian will be in court and will have the details as they emerge. We are also expecting a police press conference within the next few hours with the latest updates. In the meantime, here is an explainer with what we know so far.Victims aged from 20s to 60s
‘Minor to very serious injuries’
I think that adds to the devastation that people are feeling this morning.‘Trauma that will last’, premier says
Good morning
Rafqa Touma
Published: 2023-06-12 22:29:33
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