More than 20 Ballarat Specialist School students have been assessed by paramedics and a person has been airlifted to hospital after a bus crash in Lexton on Friday afternoon.
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Emergency crews rushed to the scene on the Sunraysia Highway after the mini-bus collided with a tractor at 1.55pm.
The mini-bus was full of students from the school, which caters for children with mild to complex intellectual disabilities.
Senior Sergeant Stuart Gale from Ballarat Highway Patrol told The Courier there were 21 students, three staff members and a driver on board the bus when it crashed about 50 kilometres north-west of Ballarat.
The identity, age or condition of the person flown to hospital is not known.
Ambulance Victoria said 23 people were assessed by paramedics - 12 were taken to Ballarat Base Hospital, six of them for observation, while 10 people did not require further treatment.
The extent of their injuries, or who was injured, remains unclear.
There were reports of communication struggles in the area, with no Telstra coverage and only minimal Optus coverage.
Photos show the crumpled front end of the "Gold Bus" lodged against the tractor, which was towing a load.
The Department of Education said regional staff attended the scene of the accident immediately to support students and staff.
"The department will continue to work with the school, staff, students and their families during this difficult time," the statement read.