Loreto College principal and Grampians Health CEO speak on Bacchus Marsh bus crash

The community of Ballarat is rallying around the teenage schoolgirls involved in a horrific bus crash on their way to the “trip of a lifetime”.

The Ballarat community is rallying around young girls and school staff involved in a horrific bus crash that took place enroute to the airport for an overseas space camp.

Prayers have been sent to the 27 Catholic schoolgirls and four staff members from Loreto College Ballarat, after a truck rear-ended the bus they were travelling in about 3.20am Wednesday morning.

It is understood the bus — carrying students in Years 9 to 12 to Melbourne Airport so they could go on the “trip of a lifetime” — had slowed down in response to a reduced speed limit on the stretch of the Western Freeway at Pentland Hills as crews worked to clear it after an earlier crash.

Emergency services arrived at a chaotic scene, with more than 30 people assessed by paramedics.

Ballarat Superintendent Jason Templar said first responders were faced with a “pretty horrific incident” — pitch black skies, bad weather conditions and patients trapped in a flipped bus down a steep embankment.

Loreto College Ballarat principal Michelle Brodrick.

Loreto College principal Michelle Brodrick told reporters on Wednesday afternoon counselling was being offered to everyone impacted.

She reported being in “close contact” with the families of students and staff who, instead of being on a flight to the US, had been rushed to hospitals across Victoria.

The NASA Space Camp had been delayed due to Covid in 2020 and again in 2021.

Everyone on the bus and the truck driver, who sustained serious injuries, was hospitalised.

Among those injured were two students who were flown to the Royal Children’s Hospital in serious conditions.

“We know they’re in the best possible care and we are pleased to report they are recovering,” Ms Brodrick said.

“We are keeping them in our thoughts and prayers.”

Despite it being a public holiday on Thursday, the school will open its doors so students and families can speak to a counsellor and receive support.

“We are providing all the care that we can,” she said.

Ms Brodrick thanked Ballarat and the wider community for the “strong outpouring of support”, offering help and sending flowers.

“When students are involved it does really touch so many people. And Ballarat really is a strong community, so we know they’re in everyone’s thoughts.

“You cannot underestimate the support of community and that’s become clear throughout the day.”

She explained that she had received a call from Premier Daniel Andrews on Wednesday, who offered additional support as required.

Loreto College principal Michelle Brodrick, Ballarat Superintendent Jason Templar, and Grampians Health chief executive Dale Fraser speak to the media after a bus crash.

Grampians Health chief executive Dale Fraser said Ballarat Base Hospital’s emergency code brown, called earlier in the day, was stood down at 2.30pm.

By that point, five of 16 crash patients remained in the hospital’s care: four of them were students and one a staff member.

All were in stable conditions.

First responders, Mr Fraser said, made a “substantial difference” to a situation that could have otherwise been “quite devastating”.

To accommodate the sudden influx of patients, Ballarat Base Hospital brought forward some of its workers’ shifts and extended others.

It also set up an area manned by social workers and psychologists.

The focus, Mr Fraser said, was reuniting children with their families.

He said the best thing parents could do in such a situation was listen and talk to their daughters and offer any needed support.

The crashed bus. Photo: Brendan Beckett

Superintendent Jason Templar said the investigation into what occurred was ongoing, but stressed early indications suggested all students on the bus were wearing seatbelts.

While some injuries were sustained from their release from seatbelts, he said the fact they were buckled in at the time of impact had saved lives.

“Had that not been the case we could have been talking about a different outcome,” he said, describing the scene as “harrowing”.

“We are incredibly grateful nobody was killed.”

Commentators on social media called the incident “dreadful”.

“My thoughts are with the staff, students and families as well as with the drivers of both vehicles,” one woman wrote.

“Terrifying,” said another.

“Thinking of all people involved- students, families and first responders.”

One person said: “Sending prayers, would have been terrifying.”

Investigators remained at the scene on Wednesday afternoon, with the section of road expected to remain closed until Thursday.

He said recovering students’ belongings from the scene would take “some time” given debris were spread across a large distance.

“We will retrieve all those items and return them to the school within the next 24-hours,” he said.

Wendouree MP Juliana Addison, a former Loreto student, sent those involved in the “shocking event” her well-wishes.

“As a former Loreto student and current parent, I know the strength of the Loreto community and that it will shine through during this difficult time,” she said.

“The Ballarat community will put our arms around our Loreto girls, teachers and families and support them in all they need.”

The City of Ballarat said in a statement that its thoughts were with affected families and their friends.

The crash comes ahead of the commencement of the weekend police road safety Operation Scoreboard.

Police urged drivers to be vigilant.