Two young German women identified as Bruce Hwy bus crash victims as police confirm driver error

Two of the victims of a fatal bus crash on a Queensland highway have been identified as German nationals.

And it’s been revealed investigations have indicated the bus travelled onto the wrong side of the Bruce Highway when it crashed into a caravan being towed by a four-wheel-drive on Sunday.

Officials are working with the families of the women, aged in their 20s and 30s, who died with a 56-year-old Townsville woman in Gumlu, near Bowen, in the crash.

German ambassadors in Australia are providing consular assistance to authorities in both countries, 7NEWS has confirmed.

Queensland police have declined to provide the exact ages of the two younger victims.

It was also unknown if the women were related, were travelling together or how long they had been in Australia.

The Townsville woman who died has been publicly identified as a beloved grandmother, but 7NEWS has declined to name or picture her at the request of her family for cultural reasons.

Two men, aged 23 and 24, are fighting for life, and two other men, 27 and 51, remain in hospital in a stable condition.

The investigation into the crash continues, with police confirming “initial” information suggests the bus veered into the oncoming lane.

The bus, carrying 33 people, was heading north towards Townsville in a 100km/h zone when it was involved in a collision with the caravan travelling in the opposite direction.

The impact forced the bus off the road and it came to a stop on adjacent train tracks.

“When we came to a standstill, the bus driver and a couple of civilians came in, they worked together to open the door and just get everybody out,” passenger Mikayla told 7NEWS.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles said on Monday: “I want to express my sympathies to those affected by that awful bus crash.

“I’m sure every single Queenslander is thinking of the families of those who have died, those who are currently being treated at our hospitals and our first responders who, I’m told, arrived to just awful scenes.”

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli raised safety concerns about the Bruce Hwy, with the crash reportedly marking the third major incident in a fortnight.

“There needs to be a proper plan that ensures that we work towards fixing that road,” he said.

“It’s not up to standard. I don’t believe there’s a Queenslander who thinks it is.”

Police Superintendent Graeme Paine described the crash investigation as “very complex”, involving forensic examinations of the scene and interviewing witnesses.

“Once we’ve completed that process we’ll be in a position to identify exactly what has occurred,” he told Sunrise on Monday.

“We’ve collected a significant amount of evidence from the scene. And we anticipate as we process that evidence and as we interview further witnesses we’ll get a clearer picture on exactly how it’s occurred.”

Greyhound Australia said it was “heartbroken” by the tragic incident.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to those involved and their families and friends,” it said in a statement.

- With AAP, Steve Hart and Bryce Luff