Vic: Tasmania bus crash kills four.

AAP General News (Australia)
02-19-2001
Vic: Tasmania bus crash kills four.

Four people have died after their tourist bus plunged 33 metres down a steep embankment
in Tasmania's Cradle Mountain National Park.

Police say 14 others have been injured.

Inspector MATTHEW RICHMAN has told Channel Nine's Today show of those injured, one
is critical and two more are in a serious condition.

He says the seriously injured have been taken by helicopter or road to hospital in Burnie.

Police say there were 18 passengers on the bus when the accident occurred, about 10.15pm,
last night.

They included tourists from the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, New
South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.

There were also two Tasmanians on board.

Police say the Maxwells bus had stopped on Dove Lake Road to let other vehicles pass
when it rolled down the embankment and came to rest on its roof against a large tree.

They say the names of those who died won't be made available until their relatives
have been contacted.

The road is still closed as accident investigators continue to determine the cause
of the accident.





Those on the bus were all guests at the nearby Cradle Mountain Lodge, which had organised
the night-time wildlife spotting tour.





(Eds: Please note previous story keyworded Bus sent out on this wire at 07:03 has been
closed and this replaces it.)

AAP RTV bp/jlw/jx s

KEYWORD: BUS (MELBOURNE)

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