Emergency services worked to free the trapped children on board the bus. Photo / 7 News
Emergency services worked to free the trapped children on board the bus. Photo / 7 News
Nine children were seriously injured when their school bus flipped onto its side after a crash with a truck in Melbourne yesterday afternoon, trapping several of the children.
The CEO of Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Bernadette McDonald said a number of the children required extensive surgery.
“The children have suffered multiple and traumatic injuries including partial and complete amputations of arms, multiple crushed limb injuries, severe lacerations to head and body, head injuries, glass shard injuries and three patients are currently receiving spinal support,” she said.
The children were between the ages of 5 and 11. Two of the children were discharged last night, but seven remain in the hospital with one in ICU.
“We have some very traumatised families and children in our hospital at the moment and we are working extremely hard to provide that trauma support and care that they will need,” McDonald said.
A senior police officer said it was “very lucky” none of the 45 primary school children on board had been killed.
“The scene is obviously a really significant scene, the bus has suffered significant damage and it’s also overturned,” Victoria Police Superintendent Michael Cruse said. “So it’s very fortunate that the incident isn’t more serious, but I must stress it’s still a very serious incident.”
Emergency services rushed to Eynesbury on Melbourne’s western fringe about 3.40pm yesterday.
Dozens of paramedics and police personnel worked desperately to free the children from the bus, while bystanders, parents and teachers from the local school comforted others.
Ambulance Victoria says the nine children were taken to hospital, along with an adult and three other children in a stable condition.
Photos from the scene show dozens of emergency workers freeing those trapped on board through an emergency exit.
Victoria Police Superintendent Michael Cruse said 46 people, including the bus driver, had been on the bus.
Emergency services worked to rescue the children from the bus. Photo / 9 News
He said police believe the bus was trying to turn right before the truck collided with its rear wheel.
A number of children were helped out of the bus by passersby before emergency services arrived.
A mother whose child was on the bus spoke about the horror of having her child involved.
“We raced down here, there was tears and emotion, [my daughter] was frightened, she has scratches, blood on her hands,” Nicole Kirk told 9 News.
“She was more concerned about her friends; she had her seatbelt on and she was fine.
