One person has died and two others are fighting for their lives after a coach rolled on the Bruce Highway in the Whitsundays region of Queensland on Thursday afternoon. Emergency services were called to the intersection of the Bruce Highway and Rangemore Road at Gumlu about 4pm AEST after reports of a crash involving a bus carrying 29 people.
Queensland police confirmed one person died from their injuries. Two passengers are being treated for significant head injuries and multi-system trauma, while 27 others are being assessed. One person was trapped under the bus, according to the Queensland fire department. Eleven ambulances, two helicopters, and a Royal Flying Doctor Service plane attended the scene.
The bus driver, a 70-year-old man from Mackay, was taken to hospital with minor injuries. No other vehicles are believed to have been involved. Budget travel operator Flix confirmed the coach was listed on its platform and was travelling from Cairns to Brisbane. The service was operated by a local transport partner.
In a statement, Flix said it was “heartbroken to learn that one passenger has since passed away” and that an emergency hotline had been set up. The Bruce Highway, stretching from Brisbane to Cairns, is considered one of Australia’s most dangerous roads. In 2024, 41 of the 302 road deaths in Queensland occurred on this highway.
