A junior doctor with an “illustrious” career ahead of her and a husband and wife who leave behind orphaned children are among the victims being mourned from the Hunter Valley bus crash.
Most of the 10 who have been confirmed dead were young and local to the area, and many had links to the Singleton Roosters football club.
As the tenth deceased passenger was identified, the victims were being remembered as vibrant people who had had promising lives ahead of them.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains the image and name of a person who has died.
Rebecca Mullen, a junior doctor and Singleton local working at Calvary Mater Newcastle hospital, was one of the younger victims unable to be saved.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said Ms Mullen had ahead of her a “long and illustrious career in medicine” but she was taken too early.
“This has made a very dark day even darker for NSW Health,” Mr Park said on Tuesday.
Also killed were Singleton husband and wife Andrew and Lynan Scott, who both played for Singleton Roosters teams. They leave behind two children under the age of five.
Tori Cowburn, who also died, was captain of The Roosterettes and played netball, touch football, tennis and basketball.
Darcy Bulman, a 30-year-old investigator for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission travelled from Melbourne with her partner for the wedding celebrations.
Her life was also tragically cut short and her partner is believed to be among the injured.
Two of the victims were Nadene McBride, who coached the Singleton Roosterettes, and her 22-year-old daughter Kyah who played in the team.
Husband and father Graham “Banger” McBride remains in hospital, coming to terms with his loss.
“There are no words to describe the grief our family is feeling at this time,” the McBride family said in a statement.
Ms McBride’s boyfriend, Kane Symons, also died in the crash. He was remembered as a keen surfer, a remarkable leader and a genuine friend by his former Tasmanian Carlton Park Surf Life Saving Club.
Others lost were Zach Bray, who was a mining engineer in the Hunter region, and engineer Angus Craig, who had worked with mining company BHP in Queensland.
The Hunter Valley town of Singleton is reeling as seven of the victims were local.
Singleton Mayor Sue Moore said her close-knit community was struggling to come to terms with the extent of the loss.
Many in the community came together to mourn the losses and show their support at a vigil at the Singleton Baptist Church on Tuesday night.
Owners of local hotels have begun offering accommodation to victims’ families, with many needing extended stays in the area.
Elsewhere, the man accused in one of Australia’s deadliest bus crashes, Brett Button, faced Cessnock Local Court on Tuesday charged with 10 counts of deadly dangerous driving.
The 58-year-old bus driver was transporting 35 wedding guests when it flipped and smashed in the NSW Hunter Valley on Sunday night.
Mr Button is accused of driving dangerously fast in thick fog and telling passengers to “fasten your seatbelts” moments before losing control at a roundabout and smashing into a guard rail before the bus tipped and crashed.
He was granted bail on Wednesday, and will next appear in court in August.
NSW Premier Chris Minns is expected to visit the area on Wednesday.
He said counselling centres had opened in Singleton and Branxton to help anyone affected by the tragedy.
“Everybody in the state has been really traumatised by these terrible events,” Mr Minns said.
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