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10 people have died and 25 are injured following a tragic bus crash in Australia’s wine country as a number of wedding guests were being driven back to their accommodation.
The tragic crash took place just hours after Mitchell Gaffney and Madeleine Edsell tied the knot at the Wandin Estate Winery in Lovedale, Hunter Valley on Sunday - an event which had been described as a 'fairy-tale wedding' by one guest to Seven News.
The incident occurred during foggy conditions at a roundabout on Wine Country Drive in the town of Greta, New South Wales, police have said.
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Police assistant commissioner Tracy Chapman said the 58-year-old driver - who is being held at a Cessnock police station - has been arrested and will be charged.
The coach is believed to have been carrying around 40 guests, who were all heading for their accommodation in the town of Singleton, Ms Chapman said.
A motorist who drove past the crash scene, identified by ABC only as Alison, said the fog was so heavy she could not make out the colours of the flashing lights of police cars, ambulances and fire trucks.
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“The fog was terrible,” she told the publication. “It was super foggy. You could barely see in front of you.”
Of the 25 people injured, 21 remained in hospitals late on Monday morning local time and one was in a critical condition, the state government said.
The conditions of the others were described as stable, while another 18 passengers were uninjured.
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Prime minister Anthony Albanese thanked first responders and offered government support to victims and their families, saying the 'mental scars of this will not go away'.
“For a joyous day like that, in a beautiful place, to end with such terrible loss of life and injury is so cruel and so sad and so unfair,” Mr Albanese told reporters.
“People hire a bus for weddings in order to keep their guests safe. And that just adds to the unimaginable nature of this tragedy,” he added.
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Jay Suvaal, the mayor of Cessnock, said the crash was 'truly horrific'.
A spokesperson for the venue said they are 'providing support to guests who need our help'.
"We are deeply saddened to hear of the bus crash overnight that claimed the lives of some of our guests," the spokesperson said.
"Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of the victims and we are supporting them in any way we can."
Featured Image Credit: InstagramTopics: Australia