A quarter of a million dollars has been raised in less than 48 hours to support those affected by the horrific bus crash in the Hunter Valley region of NSW. 

Australians are rallying around the heartbroken families and friends of those killed and injured in one of Australia’s worst bus crashes and showing their support for the frontline workers who attended the scene.

An official fundraiser launched on Wednesday and being managed by Rotary Australia and the NSW state government has seen more than $242,000 in donations pour in.

This is yet to include a further $100,000 which has been pledged to the fund by the state government.

‘I’ve done a lot of these projects, I’ve never seen that (number of donations) rise so rapidly’, Rotary’s community services chair for the eastern region, Brian Coffey told the ABC.

Many locals have also offered their homes and other accommodation to those impacted by the wedding bus tragedy who have travelled to the Hunter, while others delivered cakes and biscuits to drop-in centres that are offering counselling and support.

With the road now reopened, police have established a reduced speed zone and safe pedestrian access with a steady stream of visitors making a pilgrimage to lay flowers at the Greta crash site.

Thirteen people remain in a stable condition in hospitals across the Hunter Valley and Sydney.

The community of Singleton was hit the hardest by Sunday night’s crash which killed 10 mostly young people who were travelling home after a wedding, seven of them local to the area.

How the money raised will be distributed will be up to the Singleton Rotary branch.

‘It will be for anything from funeral expenses, excess medical expenses, accommodation, travelling involved with funerals or medical needs, out-of-pocket expenses from the loss of employment, the list goes on,’ Mr Coffey said.

‘We are trying to work out every area where we can assist.’

On Thursday night hundreds of people gathered in a vigil at the site of the crash. 

Singleton Mayor Sue Moore said being a large country town, many in the community had connections to victims of the crash, particularly through local sports clubs.

‘It’s something we’ve never seen,’ Ms Moore said on Wednesday.

‘People just want time to work through it and be with their close networks.

‘As they’re more prepared to think about functions or memorial services we’ll move when they’re ready to move.’

Premier Chris Minns visited the grieving rural town on Wednesday to lay a wreath and announce a $100,000 donation to a fund for survivors, victims and their immediate families.

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‘We’ve seen this community come together in unprecedented ways to lean on one another in a very difficult set of circumstances, Mr Minns said.

‘People have offered their own homes, their own accommodations, their hotels, their Airbnb to anyone who is visiting this community, to be with loved ones or to deal with the grief of losing somebody in their family.’

Reverend Greg Barker from the Catholic diocese of Maitland and Newcastle said a pall of sadness hung over the township.

‘The stiff upper lip we used to have, particularly for men, doesn’t work in our healing. The reality of the human condition is that we need help,’ he said.

A junior doctor, a husband and wife and a mother and daughter were among those who died in the crash while returning from the wedding at the Wandin Estate Winery in Lovedale.

Many of the victims were connected to the Singleton Roosters AFL club.

Among them were Nadene McBride, who coached the Singleton Roosterettes, her 22-year-old daughter Kyah who played in the team as well as Kyah’s boyfriend, Kane Symons.

Also killed were Singleton husband and wife Andrew and Lynan Scott who both played for Singleton Roosters teams and leave behind two young children.

Tori Cowburn, who also died, was captain of The Roosterettes and worked for mining company, Thiess.

Darcy Bulman, a 30-year-old investigator for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission from Melbourne was killed while her partner is believed to be injured.

Rebecca Mullen, a junior doctor and Singleton local working at Calvary Mater Newcastle hospital, was one of the younger victims.

Others who died were Zach Bray who was working as a mining engineer in the Hunter region and engineer Angus Craig who had worked with mining company BHP in Queensland.

The bus driver, Brett Andrew Button, 58, fronted Cessnock Local Court on Tuesday charged with 10 counts of deadly dangerous driving. 

He was granted bail.

There have been reports fake fundraising pages appearing online. 

Anyone wanting to support the families and injured with a donation are encouraged to visit the official fundraiser at www.rawcs.org.au.

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk