Details of a deadly bus crash in the Whitsundays region have emerged, with one woman killed and 28 others injured when a charter bus rolled onto its side on the Bruce Highway.
Crash Details
The bus was travelling from Cairns to Airlie Beach with 29 passengers on board when it left the highway at Gumlu about 4pm on Thursday. The vehicle rolled onto its side on a creek embankment, resulting in one fatality and injuries to all other occupants.
“A lady has lost her life, it’s a real tragedy,” Queensland Police Mackay Whitsunday Superintendent Dean Cavanagh said on Friday. Two other passengers were fighting for life when emergency services arrived, while the remaining passengers were taken to various hospitals. All survivors are now in stable conditions, Cavanagh confirmed.
Tourists Affected
All coach passengers were tourists to the region, with a majority coming from overseas. Cavanagh noted the complexity of the incident, particularly given the isolated location. “It was a very complex incident, a very serious incident,” he said.
The bus was filled with passengers’ personal items and baggage. Cavanagh stated there was “a very conscious effort last night to gather that and try to return it to these tourists at various locations and hospitals as quick as we could.” Queensland Police will work with partner agencies and the Department of Home Affairs to support the loved ones of those involved through the investigation.
Emergency Response Praised
Cavanagh commended the emergency response, which involved multiple crews from various locations responding quickly and professionally. “Although we tragically lost a life, I believe that effort that we saw went to saving many, many more. It was a very confronting scene,” he said.
He also thanked passing members of the public who stopped to help, calling it “a testament to that community.” The bus driver, a 70-year-old Mackay man, suffered minor injuries.
Company Statement
Flixbus, the company whose platform listed the coach service, expressed deep sadness over the accident. “We are heartbroken to learn that one passenger has since passed away in hospital. The coach operator is working closely with emergency services and local authorities as they investigate the cause of the accident,” the company said.
The crash comes just a week after a driver was found not guilty over a 2024 Greyhound bus crash that killed three passengers in the same area on the Bruce Highway.
