Two young cousins, Sarah El Hawli, 7, and Ossama El Hawli, 11, died after the four-wheel-drive vehicle they were traveling in rolled west of Melbourne on Tuesday afternoon. The children were on their way home from school when the crash occurred shortly before 4:30 p.m. near the intersection of Nerowie and Parwan-Exford roads in Parwan.
Sarah died at the scene, while Ossama was airlifted to The Royal Children's Hospital with critical injuries and died overnight. They were among seven children in the eight-seater vehicle, which came to rest on grass between the road and a paddock. The driver, a 34-year-old woman, and four other children, including a toddler, were taken to hospital in stable conditions.
Both children attended AI Iman College in nearby Melton South. A relative described Sarah as "the smartest kid at school" and "an angel." The Australian Islamic Centre, where the cousins were also young members, released a statement expressing grief and offering support to the family, urging privacy for funeral and burial arrangements.
Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives are investigating the circumstances of the crash. Police have stated that speed, drugs, and alcohol have been ruled out as contributing factors, and no charges have been laid. The road toll in Victoria has now reached 173 lives lost this year.
Detective Sergeant Tony Gentile described the scene as "hectic" with witnesses stopping to assist. He called the situation "just a really sad set of circumstances" and urged the public to "drive to the conditions and be mindful of their surrounds."