A girl has been killed and at least nine other children injured in a school bus rollover near Geelong.<\/p>\n
Twenty-eight primary and secondary school students from Christian College Geelong were on board the bus when the incident occurred at about 8:20am.<\/p>\n
Police believe the vehicle was turning onto the Hamilton Highway near Stonehaven, about 80 kilometres west of Melbourne, when it rolled, forcing the highway’s closure in both directions.<\/p>\n
One girl died at the scene, police confirmed, while a boy was flown to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.<\/p>\n
The driver, a 76-year-old man from Hamlyn Heights, along with eight students, was taken to the hospital by ambulance with injuries.<\/p>\n
A further 14 students were taken to the hospital for observation.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Lyneham (left) said the crash site had been a confronting scene. (ABC News)<\/p>\n
Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Lyneham from Victoria Police’s major crash investigation unit said the children had suffered “a lot of abrasions and bruises” but did not detail the specifics of their injuries.<\/p>\n
He said it had been a “confronting” incident for all those involved.<\/p>\n
“It has been a big day for first responders already \u2026 but it is a challenging day for everyone, whether you are a parent, a member of the school community, or a member of the broader community around here,” he told the media in Stonehaven on Wednesday afternoon.<\/p>\n
“Presented with a crash of the sort of magnitude, it is a very confronting scene, and I take my hat off to all the first responders that attended today and did their best.<\/p>\n
“It’s also a really confronting day for those kids going to school as they normally would do, and that’s a challenging thing to deal with and it will be difficult for days to come.”<\/p>\n
Senior Sergeant Lyneham said the bus appeared to have failed to negotiate a left-hand bend, before hitting a rail and rolling over.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Emergency services at the scene of the bus accident in Stonehaven. (ABC News: Jonathon Kendall)<\/p>\n
Christian College Geelong is a private school with five campuses in the Geelong region. The bus was travelling to the three campuses in Geelong itself.<\/p>\n
Dr Mathilda Joubert, the school’s executive principal, said it was a “profoundly distressing time” for the school community.<\/p>\n
“We are deeply saddened to confirm that a Christian College student has tragically lost their life in a school bus accident this morning. Several other students were also injured,” she said in a statement.<\/p>\n
“Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the families impacted. We are supporting them through this incredibly difficult time.”<\/p>\n
Ambulance Victoria said eight paramedic units, including helicopters, intensive care, and advanced life support crews, had attended the scene on Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n
The driver has since been discharged and is assisting police with their enquiries.<\/p>\n
Stonehaven is a semi-rural area about 10km west of Geelong, with a population of 80 people.<\/p>\n
Premier offers condolences<\/p>\n
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan held a press conference late on Wednesday afternoon to assure that support would be offered to the school community.<\/p>\n
“We’re here to recognise and reflect that today has been another really difficult and challenging day for Victorians,” she said.<\/p>\n
“I’d also like to convey my sympathy to the broader school community, who’d be feeling not just the loss of their schoolmate and their friend, but also to the other students \u2014 many other students \u2014 who were injured as a result of this accident.”<\/p>\n
Education Minister Ben Carroll said two children remained in the Royal Children’s Hospital and nine in the Geelong University Hospital as at 5pm on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
“There’s a range of injuries from broken bones, a skull fracture, and there are some milder injuries, too,” he said.<\/p>\n
“It’s a very, very difficult time for their loved ones and parents.”<\/p>\n
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, who represents the federal electorate that takes in Stonehaven, paid his respects to the victim’s family.<\/p>\n
“My heart breaks hearing the devastating news of a school bus incident and death of a student in my hometown of Geelong,” he said in a statement posted to social media.<\/p>\n
“My first thoughts are with the family, friends and the school at this time and those that are injured.”<\/p>\n
The Victorian opposition expressed its condolences for those involved in the accident.<\/p>\n
“My thoughts are with the students, families, and school community at this heartbreaking time,” Shadow Education Minister Jess Wilson said in a statement.<\/p>\n
“The safety and wellbeing of students in educational settings is paramount.”<\/p>\n
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