Child died in the bus crash of Tūroa, at least 18 wounded

The victim of a bus accident near the Tūroa ski area was a child.

The bus, carrying 31 people, rolled on Ohakune Mountain Rd, injuring at least 18 people yesterday afternoon.

Ross Copland, managing director of Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, told Newstalk ZB that a child had died as a result of the accident.

Copland said that he spoke to the victim's family and he and the president hoped to meet the family this afternoon.

"They are obviously clueless, it's a tragic loss of life – especially when they are young."

The Tūroa ski area is closed for the day and a blessing must be organized on site.

Other tour operators also chose not to operate today as a sign of respect.

My Kiwi Adventure posted on Facebook that it was a sad day for the Ruapehu region

"Our prayers and thoughts are with the affected families.While we are an independent local transportation operator, we chose not to operate today as a sign of respect. "

The bus carrying 31 passengers rolled halfway on Ohakune Mountain Rd, which goes to Tūroa Field, just after 2:30 pm the Saturday. [19659011] Ruapehu Alpine Lifts stated that the bus was carrying passengers from the Tūroa Ski Area when the incident occurred.

A motorist stated that there were two cars behind the bus when he crashed.

"People were treated on the side of the road … a woman had clearly hurt his mouth and many people had blood coming from his head."

Another bus, who did not want to be named, said one of his drivers was following the bus and was seeing

A spokeswoman for the Waikato District Health Bureau confirmed the presence of two women aged 29 and 31, and one 20-year-old man was stable this morning. in a room. The 31-year-old was in critical condition when she arrived yesterday afternoon.

A spokesman for St John said yesterday that at least 15 other people had moderate injuries, including head injuries that had stunned them.

Three helicopters were transported to the Ruapehu site to help transport the wounded.

The accident left several skiers stranded on the mountain for several hours after the road was destroyed. closed in both directions