In brief
A Toyota HiAce minivan on South Road in Pearshape, King Island, rolled over, injuring ten elderly tourists, according to Tasmania Police. Three were flown to Melbourne and three to Hobart, while the remaining four were treated locally. Initial investigations point to loose gravel causing loss of traction, but the final cause remains unconfirmed.
Ten elderly tourists were injured when a Toyota HiAce minivan rolled over on South Road in Pearshape, King Island, Tasmania, Saturday, according to Tasmania Police.
Police said the single‑vehicle crash happened at about 4:20 p.m. local time on Friday, when the van carrying ten visitors from mainland Australia, aged from the mid‑70s to their 80s, could not negotiate a bend and lost traction on loose gravel.
The vehicle then went down an embankment, rolled over, and landed back on its wheels. Three of the injured were flown to hospitals in Melbourne on Friday night, while three others were later transferred to the Royal Hobart Hospital.
The remaining four passengers were treated at a local hospital on the island and have since been discharged.
Initial investigations suggested the van failed to negotiate a bend and lost traction on loose gravel, but that remains an early hypothesis until the official investigation is completed.
