A girl has died and nine other students were injured in a school bus rollover near Geelong in Victoria’s south.
Police said it was believed the bus was turning left onto the Hamilton Highway from Friend in Hand Road at Stonehaven when the incident occurred on Wednesday morning.
There were 28 students on the bus, ranging from primary school age to secondary school age.
“A girl sadly died at the scene,” Victoria Police said.
“A boy was airlifted to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.”
Eight other students were also hurt and taken to hospital by ambulance, along with the 76-year-old bus driver. A further 11 children were taken to hospital for observation.
Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Lyneham from Victoria Police’s major crash investigation unit said the children had suffered “lot of abrasions and bruises”.
He said it was a “confronting” incident for all those involved.
“It has been a big day for first responders already … but it is a challenging day for everyone, whether you are a parent, a member of the school community, or a member of the broader community around here,” Lyneham said in Stonehaven on Wednesday afternoon.
“Presented with a crash of the sort of magnitude, it is a very confronting scene and I take my hat off to all the first responders that attended today and did their best.
“It’s also a really confronting day for those kids going to school as they normally would do, and that’s a challenging thing to deal with and it will be difficult for days to come.”
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said the incident would affect many in the tight-knit Geelong community.
“My heart breaks hearing the devastating news of a school bus incident and death of a student in my hometown of Geelong,” Marles said on social media.
My heart breaks hearing the devastating news of a school bus incident and death of a student in my hometown of Geelong.
My first thoughts are with the family, friends and the school at this time and those that are injured.
I am mindful the incident is still unfolding and…
— Richard Marles (@RichardMarlesMP) August 27, 2025
Police said the bus driver has now been released from hospital and is assisting them with their inquiries.
“The exact circumstances surrounding the collision are yet to be established and an investigation is ongoing,” they said.
The Geelong Advertiser reported that the students were from Christian College. It said the school’s executive principal, Mathilda Joubert, has emailed parents expressing the school community’s deep sadness.
“The impact of this loss will be felt across our entire Christian College community and we offer our heartfelt sympathy to all impacted by this incident,” she said.
Victoria’s Transport department reported that the accident forced the closure of the Hamilton Highway in both directions between Burnside Road and Friend-In-Hand Road.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or has CCTV or dashcam footage of the crash is asked to contact Crime Stoppers (1800 333 000).
–with AAP
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