One dead, 10 injured after school bus crash in Australia's Melbourne

Sydney, Aug 27 (IANS) A girl has died and 10 others have been injured after a school bus rolled onto its side southwest of Melbourne in the Australian state of Victoria on Wednesday morning.

Victoria Police said in a statement that the school bus had 28 primary and secondary school students on board when it rolled over while turning onto a highway in the small town of Stonehaven, 73 km southwest of Melbourne, at around 8:20 am on Wednesday, Xinhua News Agency reported.

One girl died at the scene, Victoria Police said, and a boy was airlifted to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Eight other students sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to the hospital by ambulance. The 76-year-old male bus driver was also hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries, but has since been discharged and is assisting police with their inquiries.

Another 11 students were taken to the hospital for observation.

Ambulance Victoria said that eight paramedic units, including helicopters, intensive care and life support crews, were deployed to the scene of the incident on Wednesday morning. It said that five patients were transported to the hospital in the nearby city of Geelong, and five were taken to Melbourne.

Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, the Member of Parliament for the area, said in a statement posted on social media that his thoughts are with the family and friends of those affected, as well as the school.

"My heart breaks hearing the devastating news of a school bus incident and the death of a student in my hometown of Geelong," he said.

Victoria Police said that an investigation into the exact circumstances of the incident is ongoing.

Further details are awaited.

Earlier on August 21, one man died and three more people were seriously injured after a vehicle crashed into a tree in the northern suburbs of Brisbane in eastern Australia.

A police statement said that the vehicle collided with a tree in the suburb of Zillmere, 12 kilometres north of central Brisbane.

The driver of the car, a 40-year-old local man, was initially transported from the scene by ambulance but was later declared deceased.

The other occupants, two women aged 42 and 38 and a 14-year-old girl, were all taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

News Corp Australia newspapers reported that one of the women had suffered life-threatening head and leg injuries.

--IANS

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