Officials said Sunday that two army trucks rolled over during a deployment on Australia’s storm-ravaged eastern coast, injuring 13 Australian troops.
State police in New South Wales released a statement on Sunday, March 9, 2025, following the start of a crash investigation, stating that “one vehicle left the roadway and rolled several times into a paddock, and a second vehicle tipped onto its side, attempting to avoid the first vehicle.”
“The vehicles did not collide with each other.”
All 32 people were evacuated from the two vehicles involved in the Saturday incident close to Lismore, a city in New South Wales that is prone to flooding, by police, emergency services, and troops.
According to state police and the federal authorities, all of the occupants had medical evaluations, but only 13 of them needed hospital treatment.
Credit: The Australian Times
Police said that the injuries “seem to be non-life-threatening.”
At a news conference, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that six of the soldiers had suffered severe injuries.
“These men and women are heroes who were on their way to help people in need,” he declared.
Emergency services first reported that there were 36 patients after the crash.
Employees of the Australian Defence Force have been sent in to assist in dealing with the effects of ex-tropical cyclone Alfred, which has pounded a large portion of the eastern coast with strong winds and a lot of rain.
