A 9-year-old boy is among a number of passengers who have been flown to hospital with serious injuries after their bus crashed near Te Anau this morning.
More than a dozen of the 30 passengers - thought to be Chinese tourists - were injured when the bus rolled on an icy State Highway 94 about 4km north of Mossburn.
Police say the World Away bus was travelling at about 40-50kmh behind another bus when it slid on black ice, spun and went off the road backwards, hitting a power pole.
A 55-year-old man, a 52-year-old woman and a female of unknown age have been flown to Southland Hospital.
A 9-year-old boy with abdominal injuries has been flown to Dunedin Hospital accompanied by his mother, who is uninjured.
The bus driver has also been taken to Southland Hospital as a precaution.
A St John spokesperson said seven people had moderate injuries and and six had minor injuries.
Remaining patients would be transported to Invercargill Hospital, while those uninjured were being transported back to Te Anau.
Nobody was thought to have been physically trapped inside the bus after it rolled, but an ambulance spokesperson said the crash brought down live powerlines, forcing the passengers to stay on board.
Mossburn Foursquare retailer Bev Brady said the passengers were ''very, very lucky'' to escape without more serious injuries.
She had been told by a fireman only one passenger needed to be airlifted.
''We had frost and then it rained so that would make the roads really treacherous.
''They are really lucky, for a bus to roll you would think there would be more injuries.''
Police are liaising with the Chinese consulate in Christchurch over the incident.
SH94 is open to eastbound traffic at the crash scene but it may be several hours before the road is completely reopened. Motorists are advised to drive with caution on Southland roads due to the icy conditions.
Police said there had also been three other crashes in the Mossburn/Acton Road area, about the same time as the bus crash.
NZTA is reporting ice on SH97 from Five Rivers To Mossburn, SH6 from Lumsden To Dipton, SH1 Athurton To Pukerau, and SH94 Te Anau To Milford Sound.
- ODT/Herald Online/APNZ
