SYDNEY, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Two people have died, and eight more have been hospitalized, including five with life-threatening injuries, after three major traffic collisions within 24 hours in the Australian state of Queensland.
The Queensland Police Service (QPS) said in a statement that two people, who have not been identified, were killed when a vehicle lost control and crashed on a highway near the small town of Cryna, 60 km south of Brisbane, around 5:40 p.m. local time on Sunday.
Earlier, emergency services were called to a collision involving two cars and a motorcycle at Mount Tamborine, 20 km east of Cryna, shortly after 10:30 a.m. local time on Sunday.
The drivers of both cars, along with three passengers and the motorcyclist, were all taken to the hospital, the QPS said.
Local media reported that the motorcyclist, a man aged in his 50s, was airlifted to the hospital in a life-threatening condition.
A man and woman in their 70s and another man in his 20s also suffered life-threatening injuries.
In a third incident, police said that a truck flipped onto its side after colliding with a sedan at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast, 70 km southeast of Brisbane, around 4:20 a.m. local time on Monday.
The female driver of the sedan was trapped in the vehicle before being extricated and taken to the hospital with life-threatening head injuries. The male truck driver was hospitalized in stable condition.
The QPS has commenced investigations into all three incidents.
According to official data, as of Sunday, there had been 86 deaths on Queensland roads so far in 2026, up from 73 at the same time in 2025. ■