Three Killed When Bus Goes Over Cliff

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29714, 6 January 1962, Page 11

Three Killed When Bus Goes Over Cliff

(N.Z. Preu Auociatton—Copyright) SYDNEY, January 5. Three women were killed and 19 persons were injured, 12 seriously, when a tourist bus plunged over a 350-foot cliff near the Jenolan Caves in the Blue Mountains this afternoon.

The bus skidded on lie loose edge of the winding roadway, crashed through a safety fence and rolled down an almost sheer drop. The bus carried 33 sightseers and was on a one-da y tour of the Jenolan Caves area. The three dead are believed to be middle-aged women. One was hurled through the roof of the shattered coach and the other two were trapped inside the wreckage Attempts to get full reports were hindered by communications difficulties. Telephone .ines were jammed by people seeking information about friends and relatives believed to be in the bus. First news of the accident came from a young girl who scrambled to the top of the

cliff. She called a passing car which rushed her to a guest house at the caves. She said she had lost consciousness amid scream* for help When she came to, she pulled herself out of the wreckage and scrambled to the top of the cliff. After telling her story the girl collapsed Trees and rocks ripped the bus apart as it rolled downwards and many of the tourists were hurled out on to the steep hillside. A big tree prevented the wrecked vehicle from falling a further 500 feet into the valley. A spokesman for the bus company said tonight he could not give the names of any passengers aa the company did not keep a record of those travelling on one-day tours from Sydney. The driver of the bus was badly injured when he was hurled from the bus as the driver's compartment was torn away. The injured were taken to the Lithgow. Katoomba and Bathurst hospital*.