S’poreans hurt after tour bus rolls over in Perth
By AFP
A four-wheel-drive tour bus carrying mostly Singaporeans rolled down a sand dune north of Perth in Australia, leaving five injured people in hospital on Monday, police said.
The driver and most of the 33 passengers aboard were injured and rushed to hospitals in Perth by helicopter or ambulance following the incident Sunday, when part of a dune collapsed under the vehicle.
Police said on Monday that five people remained in hospital, including one man in a critical condition with bleeding in the neck and a woman in a serious condition with a broken neck.
Three other tourists remain in a stable condition.
The Desert Storm 4WD Adventures bus, which has monster truck-style wheels and suspension, was attempting to reverse down a sand dune on the outskirts of Lancelin when it tipped onto its side.
"It's fortunate the vehicle is very purpose-built (for off-road driving)," senior constable Matt Tucker told reporters.
"It's lucky it wasn't going up a larger dune."
Meanwhile, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) spokesman said in a statement that they have been informed of the incident and are providing all necessary assistance to the affected Singaporeans.
The Singapore High Commission in Canberra is also in close touch with the medical authorities in Western Australia who are providing medical assistance to the victims, reported The Straits Times.
According to the statement, officers from the High Commission supported by consular officers dispatched from MFA's headquarters in Singapore are currently in Perth to attend to those affected.
-- with a report by Faris Mokhtar
