Australia bus crash: Driver going too fast in Hunter Valley, police say

The antheral driving a autobus successful Australia that crashed, sidesplitting 10 and injuring astatine slightest 20, was allegedly going excessively accelerated successful foggy conditions, constabulary say.

The autobus was carrying passengers returning from a wedding connected Sunday erstwhile it overturned astatine a roundabout adjacent the municipality of Greta successful New South Wales (NSW).

Many of the victims are connected to tight-knit agrarian sporting clubs, section media person reported.

The clang is 1 of Australia's deadliest roadworthy incidents.

Brett Andrew Button, 58, has been charged with aggregate counts of unsafe driving and negligence, aft being arrested connected Monday.

He was allegedly driving "in a mode that was inconsistent with the conditions", the NSW Police Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander told reporters connected Tuesday.

"He mislaid power of that vehicle... evidently the velocity was excessively speedy for him to negociate that roundabout," Acting Assistant Commissioner David Waddell added.

Fourteen radical injured successful the clang successful the Hunter Valley vino portion stay successful hospital, with 2 successful a captious condition, constabulary say.

They person not formally identified immoderate of the victims, but the politician of Singleton said galore lived successful the tiny town.

"I cognize we'll ne'er get implicit it," Sue Moore told the BBC.

Some section families person been astatine the broadside of injured radical successful infirmary successful Newcastle and Sydney, Ms Moore said, and others are readying funerals portion reeling from "the worst imaginable happening that could ever hap successful their lives".

"As acold arsenic I know, 1 batch of parents are leaving 2 kids orphaned," she said.

A inferior doctor, Rebecca Mullen, was among those killed, said NSW Health Minister Ryan Park."This has made a precise acheronian time adjacent darker for NSW Health," helium said.

Tasmanian antheral Kane Symons besides died successful the crash, his erstwhile surf nine confirmed connected societal media.

Posting connected behalf of his family, the Carlton Park Surf Lifesaving Club described Mr Symons arsenic "an astonishing athlete... a large bloke and a mate to many".

"We adored him and helium volition beryllium genuinely missed," they said.

Pop-up intelligence wellness clinics person been acceptable up successful Singleton and the adjacent municipality of Cessnock to enactment the section community, and Ms Moore said discussions are nether mode to fundraise for the victims' families.

Mr Button is besides a Hunter Valley local, and is intelligibly hurting on with the victims' relatives, a magistrate said erstwhile helium faced tribunal connected Tuesday morning.

"I spot earlier maine a antheral suffering," Magistrate Robyn Richardson said, granting him bail.

The Cessnock Local Court heard Mr Button had committed 7 driving offences implicit the past 30 years, but did not person a transgression record.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese connected Tuesday said the "horrific tragedy" had rocked the country, peculiarly due to the fact that radical "associate weddings with emotion and... celebrations".

"Of course, the scars volition past for specified a long, agelong play of time," helium told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The clang tract was "still an progressive transgression scene", constabulary said connected Monday, with forensics officers moving done the wreckage.

The Hunter Valley successful NSW is known for its vineyards and autochthonal bushland, making it a fashionable spot for vino lovers and radical outings oregon celebrations.