What we learned today
We’ll be wrapping up the live blog coverage of the Hunter Valley bus crash today – here are the day’s developments:
NSW Police confirmed that 10 people are deceased – nine at the scene, and one later in hospital.
There are still 14 people in hospital. Two people at RPA have had surgeries and two are in ICU. Injuries range from lacerations to fractures.
There were no children on the bus. Victims were aged from their 20s to 60s.
NSW Police alleged that bus driver Brett Button was “driving in a manner that was inconsistent with the conditions”.
Button was released on bail. He has been charged with 10 counts of dangerous driving occasioning death and one further count of negligent driving in relation to all 10 deaths.
Tributes from family, friends and communities poured in as victims of the crash started being identified.
Cessnock and Singleton opened drop-in clinics for mental health support.
NSW seatbelt laws were brought under scrutiny by experts.
Thank you for staying with us through tragic news.
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Tributes for victims continue
We mentioned Rebecca Mullen earlier, a junior doctor at Calvary Mater hospital in Newcastle, who died in the crash on Sunday night.
Her colleagues at Calvary Mater treated some of those injured in the same crash.
Mullen, like many at the wedding, was a keen sportswoman. She ran, played football, and kayaked and hiked. Her old football club, the Armidale-based New England Nomads, has posted a statement to its Facebook page:
We are extremely saddened by the tragic news that one of our former players Bec Mullen died in the bus crash in the Hunter on Sunday. Bec was an extremely active member of the club, a wonderfully talented sportswoman and a friend to all who knew her. We offer our sincere condolences to her friends and family.
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