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The woman who died in a bus rollover on a remote stretch of the Bruce Highway in North Queensland was on the trip of a lifetime, the state’s premier said, as investigations into the “complex incident” continued.
Queensland police confirmed on Friday that all 28 passengers on the FlixBus travelling from Cairns to Airlie Beach were tourists to the region, and mostly foreign nationals.
“The rest were also from Australia, but still tourists and visiting the area,” superintendent Dean Cavanagh said.
The bus’s driver, a 70-year-old Mackay man, was assisting police with investigations.
Nine News identified the woman killed as a 26-year-old from Argentina.
Premier David Crisafulli described the incident as a tragedy and expressed condolences for the woman who lost her life.
“I want people to know first and foremost we’ve got people fighting for their lives in hospital, we’ve had loss of life,” he said on Friday afternoon.
The Queensland Ambulance Service initially reported at least 20 people were injured in the crash at Gumlu, three of them critically.
Cavanagh said it was “a very confronting scene” and thanked emergency services for their quick response, which he said saved lives.
“This was a very complex incident, it was a very serious incident, and it was in an isolated area,” he said.
“Although we tragically lost a life, I believe that effort that we saw absolutely went into saving many [more].”
Cavanagh also thanked members of the public who stopped to help the first responders.
“It certainly is a testament to that community and regional policing, and certainly, I’m very grateful for that,” he said.
Two people who suffered severe injuries were airlifted to Townsville University Hospital, while others were driven to hospitals in Bowen and Ayr.
There were eight stable patients at Townsville University Hospital on Friday morning, and one at Ayr Hospital.
Three patients were discharged from Bowen Hospital overnight, with another expected to leave on Friday.
Cavanagh said the Forensic Crash Investigation Unit had yet to identify the cause of the crash and would continue investigating.
“The work they do is methodical. It’s also protracted and very detailed, so we won’t rush that and we will not speculate on cause,” he said.
“I understand there will be a lot of questions about cause … what is important now is that we place our trust in the Forensic Crash Unit [and] we give them the time and the resources necessary.”
The bus rolled near Rangemore Road just before 4pm on Thursday and closed the highway for several hours.
Police cleared the bus from the scene overnight and both sides of the Bruce Highway have been reopened.
The same stretch of road was the site of a fatal Greyhound bus crash in 2024 that killed three women and critically injured two young men.
Crisafulli added that while he didn’t know what caused this crash, he remained determined to improve the stretch of highway.
“I’ll allow the investigations to take place, but I will make the point that my resolve to implement the vision that we put for the Bruce, and working with the federal government on an 80/20 funding deal, has never been stronger.
“It’s a road that means everything to the state, and it’s a road that’s a long way short of where it should be.”
FlixBus – an international operator that launched in Australia in November last year – said it was deeply saddened by the news of the passenger’s death.
“We are heartbroken that one passenger has passed away in the hospital,” a statement said.
“Our thoughts are with their family, friends, and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”
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