Two children have died following a tragic single-vehicle rollover crash at Parwan, near Bacchus Marsh and within the wider Ballarat region, on Tuesday afternoon, September 8, 2026. The crash occurred near the intersection of Nerowie Road and Parwan-Exford Road, shortly before 4.30pm.

Victoria Police said a 34-year-old woman and seven children were travelling in an eight-seater four-wheel-drive when the vehicle left the road and rolled, eventually coming to rest on grass between the roadway and a nearby paddock. Emergency services responded rapidly, with multiple ambulance crews and specialist helicopter teams attending the scene.

A seven-year-old girl died at the scene despite attempts by paramedics to save her. An 11-year-old boy was critically injured and airlifted to hospital. Police later confirmed that the boy died in hospital overnight.

The other five children were taken to hospital with injuries described by police as non-life-threatening. The children included primary-school-aged children and a teenager. The 34-year-old female driver was also taken to hospital for observation.

The children had reportedly been picked up from school shortly before the crash. The incident has deeply affected the local and wider community, with the children's school community and community organisations expressing condolences and offering support to the families.

Emergency responders faced a difficult scene, with police describing the circumstances as particularly distressing because of the number of children involved. Members of the public who witnessed the crash also stopped to assist before and during the emergency response.

The Major Collision Investigation Unit has taken responsibility for investigating the circumstances of the crash. Detectives are working to establish why the vehicle left the road and rolled. At this stage, police have not announced a final cause for the crash.

Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the incident or may have relevant CCTV, dashcam or mobile-phone footage to contact Crime Stoppers. Such footage could help detectives establish what occurred immediately before the vehicle left the roadway.

The deaths have prompted an outpouring of grief from the children's community. Reports identify the two children as Sarah El Hawli, aged seven, and Ossama El Hawli, aged 11. They were students at Al Iman College in Melton South, and community representatives have expressed condolences to their family and friends.

The crash has also added to Victoria's road death toll. Police continue to investigate, and no conclusion about responsibility or the exact cause of the collision should be drawn while the investigation remains ongoing.

The tragedy has left two families grieving while five other children recover from their injuries. The investigation will now focus on reconstructing the crash and determining the circumstances that led to the vehicle rolling on the rural road.