Two people are fighting for their lives this morning after three were killed in a tragic crash involving a bus and caravan on a major Queensland highway yesterday.
Police said 33 people were on board the Greyhound coach when it collided with a four-wheel drive towing a caravan near the Wilson Creek Rest Area on the Bruce Highway at Gumlu, south of Townsville.
Images from the scene show a red bus stopped near train tracks with a caravan embedded in the front after the high-speed crash on the state's busiest road.
Superintendent Graeme Paine from Queensland Police said three people killed in the crash just after 11am were female, but he was unable to confirm their ages.
Two men, aged 23 and 24, remain in hospital in a critical condition, while two other men are in a stable condition.
The bus driver and the two occupants of the four-wheel drive are understood to have escaped without serious injury.
Greyhound Australia CEO Dan Smith said the company was working with authorities to investigate and would provide more updates as information became available.
"We are heartbroken that three passengers aboard Greyhound Australia service GX402 travelling from Brisbane to Townsville have died after a motor vehicle accident at Gumlu in North Queensland today," he said, in a statement.
"Several other passengers were also seriously injured and are currently receiving medical treatment.
"This is a tragic incident and our deepest sympathies go out to those involved and their families and friends.
Dozens were treated at the scene, with multiple people taken to Ayr and Townsville Hospitals, while one person was flown to Townsville Hospital.
Residents have been asked to "reconsider" their need to attend those hospitals in a Facebook post from Townsville Hospital and Health Service, with all staff called into work.
"A crash like this is very, very confronting," Paine said.
"The first responders and the community members on scene at the time have done a very significant job in trying to help those who are injured and safeguard the scene."
Police are investigating the cause of the crash.
"We haven't determined any factors that have contributed to the crash at this stage, but certainly a crash of this nature involving this many people is a very significant and very tragic incident for us" Paine said.
The Bruce Highway has reopened after lengthy delays during the investigation.
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