A woman has died and more than 20 people were injured in a multi-vehicle collision involving a bus and two cars on the Melba Highway in Victoria’s Yarra Ranges on Thursday afternoon. The crash occurred near Glenburn, approximately 63 kilometers northeast of Melbourne, around 2:40 p.m.

Victoria Police reported that the bus, operated by Mee’s Bus Lines, collided with a white car and a blue Toyota. The woman driving the white car died at the scene. The driver and passenger of the Toyota sustained minor injuries. The bus was carrying 18 passengers, including the driver, and had departed Mansfield for Melbourne at around 1 p.m.

Emergency services responded promptly, with crews from Ambulance Victoria, Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance, and Advanced Life Support paramedics attending the scene. An Air Ambulance Victoria helicopter also transported a teenage boy with upper body injuries to The Alfred Hospital in a serious condition. A man in his 50s was taken to Box Hill Hospital with serious injuries. Two other teenagers—a girl and a boy—were transported to the Royal Children’s Hospital and Maroondah Hospital, respectively, both in stable condition.

Ambulance Victoria confirmed that paramedics treated 21 people at the scene. The Melba Highway was closed in both directions between Castella and Yea during the emergency response.

Mee’s Bus Lines described the incident as “pretty devastating” and said its team was deeply affected. The company noted that it was cooperating with authorities during the ongoing investigation and that its understanding of the crash remained limited.

This collision marks the second fatal incident on the same stretch of road within four days. On Monday, a driver died in a separate crash at Castella after a car collided with a truck, prompting added concern over road safety in the area. Authorities have not yet released further details about the cause of Thursday’s crash, and investigations are continuing.