Australia: Seven children seriously injured after truck crashes into bus in Melbourne; truck driver charged

A group of primary school students in Australia's Melbourne was injured in a horrific school bus crash on Tuesday (May 16). According to a report by the news agency Associated Press on Wednesday, the school bus was carrying as many as 45 students after it was hit by a truck from behind and overturned. The police said that the accident happened at an intersection in Eynesbury.

Seven students suffer serious injuries; 1 student loses entire arm

A total of 21 students were taken to a hospital of which seven remain hospitalised with serious injuries. Addressing a press conference, Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne chief executive Bernadette McDonald said one of the students was in intensive care. McDonald pointed out the injured students range in age from 5 to 11 years old.

“The children have suffered multiple and traumatic injuries including partial and complete amputations of arms, multiple crushing injuries, severe lacerations of the head and body, head injuries, glass shard injuries, and three patients are ... being monitored carefully in terms of spinal injuries,” the hospital official added.

McDonald also said that one student lost an entire arm but did not elaborate on how many injured students underwent partial amputation.

The accident on Tuesday happened when the students were returning to a nearby primary school after competing in an athletics event. The Country Fire Authority said on Wednesday that about six children were temporarily trapped in the wrecked bus, the Associated Press reported.

Emergency crews entered the bus through a skylight in its roof, and the smashed-out windshield was used as the main emergency exit. Paramedics assessed dazed victims who didn’t appear to need hospitalisation, and the bus driver was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

Truck driver charged with dangerous driving

The truck driver, a 49-year-old man, was charged with four counts of dangerous driving causing serious injury. He would appear before the Melbourne magistrates court via video link later on Wednesday, according to a report by The Guardian. Police also said that more charges could follow.

(With inputs from agencies)

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