Australia police: initial inquiries indicate 10 dead in overnight bus crash

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia police said Monday that initial inquiries indicated 10 people had been killed in an overnight bus crash in New South Wales state.

Police said 11 more people were injured in the accident and were taken to area hospitals by helicopter and by road. A further 18 passengers were uninjured. Police said they had responded to reports that a bus had rolled.

The driver of the bus, a 58-year-old man, was taken to an area hospital under police guard for mandatory testing and assessment, police said in a statement.

The accident happened just after 11:30 p.m. in the town of Greta. Police said they had established a crime scene at the site and had started an investigation into the cause of the crash.

Australia media reported that it was a wedding bus. Jay Suvaal, the mayor of nearby Cessnock, said the crash was “truly horrific.”

“We are a major wedding and tourist destination in the Hunter Valley, and so there will be people from all over the state and the country that have been to these areas and have probably done similar things,” he told Network Nine. “I think it will send shock waves right through the broader community.”