The bus carrying 27 schoolgirls, four adults and the driver plunged 50 meters down a hill in the horrific crash outside Melbourne in the early hours of Wednesday. 3 All 32 people on board were rushed to hospital after the horrific crashCredit: PA 3 The truck driver was seriously injured and rushed to hospitalCredit: PA 3 The horrifying images show students’ suitcases and belongings strewn across the hillCredit: PA It appears the students were on their way to Melbourne Airport to fly to the United States and visit NASA’s space camp at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. All 32 people on board the plane were rushed to hospital, while a teenage girl is said to be fighting for her life after being airlifted from the scene. The truck driver was also seriously injured and taken to hospital. Horrifying images showed students’ suitcases and belongings strewn across the hill as emergency services worked at the crash site. The mother of one of the students told 9News that the “trip of a lifetime” to space camp was canceled last year due to Covid. Officers urged parents to stay away and call their local police station for the latest updates. Melbourne-bound lanes of the freeway are expected to remain closed for several hours and drivers are being asked to avoid the area. Officers are investigating the cause of the crash and witnesses have been asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. It comes days after 19 students were killed when a truck plowed into a minibus on a South African highway. The tragedy happened in the Pongola area – about 300km north of Durban – on Friday afternoon. Horrifying dashcam footage showed the moment the lorry overtook another lorry on the two-lane motorway before plowing into the minibus full of children. According to local media reports, the minibus tried to swerve out of the way of the oncoming truck before it was crushed by the vehicle. Authorities said 19 children – aged between five and 12 – died in the crash, along with three adults. The children were said to be on their way home from school at the time. The truck driver fled the scene, but police arrested him on Saturday after he surrendered. Regional Transport Minister Sipho Hlomuka said: “The loss of so many young lives is a grave tragedy.” South Africa’s roads are among the most developed on the continent – but safety remains an issue with most accidents attributed to reckless driving.
