School bus to be salvaged after major crash - Snowy Mountains

Published: 06 Sep 2022 10:23am

Emergency teams are working to salvage a school bus which crashed in the Snowy Mountains, triggering a major rescue operation involving Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW).

36 children and 5 adults, on a school ski trip, were onboard the vehicle when it veered off Kosciuszko Road near Guthega Road, around 5:30pm yesterday.

The bus ended up at the base of a five-metre embankment.

FRNSW joined NSW Ambulance, NSW Police, NSW RFS and NSW SES in launching a significant emergency response.

FRNSW worked alongside the partner agencies to rescue the driver and passengers, using a ladder slide and 'hand over hand' techniques to pull them up the steep incline.

While no one was seriously injured, FRNSW helped establish a triage system to prioritise those needing treatment on-site or in hospital.

A replacement bus was also arranged to quickly remove the remaining people from the harsh conditions including sub-zero temperatures and light snowfalls.

The bus remained at the scene overnight as investigations were carried out. It is expected it will be extracted and towed from the scene this afternoon.

EDITORS NOTE: Images of the rescue operation are available on the FRNSW website.

Updated: 06 Sep 2022 10:23am

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