Miracle on mountain: 19 people survive bus crash in the Gold Coast Hinterland

Emergency services say passengers of a bus involved in a terrifying hinterland crash have one simple detail to thank for escaping with their lives.

SIX people have been discharged from hospital after surviving a terrifying bus accident in the Gold Coast hinterland overnight.

Two children are among eighteen tourists left shaken after their minibus plunged down a 20 metre embankment on a treacherous stretch of the road near O’Reilly’s around 8pm last night.

The group had been on a tour to see the glow worm caves on Tamborine Mountain.

The driver, a 28-year-old man, remains in hospital recovering from pelvis and back injuries.

He was trapped inside the bus for two hours as firefighters worked to free him before being flown to Gold Coast University Hospital.

Another six passengers, including a 10-year-old child and a person in their 60s, were taken by ambulance to Gold Coast University Hospital with deep cuts and glass in their skin but have since been released.

Another 12 people on board, including a second child, were shaken but did not need further treatment.

O'Reilly's

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The passengers managed to get themselves out of the wrecked vehicle and seek help from O’Reilly’s Retreat.

Queensland Ambulance Service senior station officer Justin Payne said it was a lengthy five hour operation for paramedics, with crews remaining at the scene until 1am.

He said the accident could have delivered fatal blows if the bus had gone further down the embankment or if the vehicle had been travelling faster.

“The crash obviously could have been a lot worse, the relatively low speed the bus was travelling at has probably reduced the severity of the injuries, most people were identified with just minor lacerations, bruising and soft tissue injuries,” he said