At least one person has died after a vehicle crashed into a house where a large crowd of people had gathered for a funeral viewing in Queensland's far north.
Police received reports of a vehicle driving into a residence in Kowanyama, near the edge of the Gulf of Carpentaria, about 10.30am.
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One dead in funeral crash
A car crashes into a house near the Gulf of Carpentaria, where people had gathered for a funeral.
Acting Inspector Michael Gooiker said a 48-year-old woman died and 12 people had been seriously injured after the car crashed into the house on Kowanyama Street.
"Police attended the scene and, as a result, there is a 55-year-old male in custody, who is assisting police with their inquiries," he said.
Acting Inspector Gooiker said investigations were at an early stage, but it appeared there had been "some sort of dispute" at the funeral in the lead-up to the incident.
The driver was related to people at the funeral, Acting Inspector Gooiker said, but there had been no indication of any trouble brewing in the lead-up to Friday morning.
That driver was driving a Kowanyama council vehicle, Acting Inspector Gooiker said, and it was "highly likely" he would be removed from the community.
Queensland Ambulance Service operations coordinator Neil Noble said the Royal Flying Doctor Service had been called in to help treat and move patients in the remote community.
"At this stage, there are multiple patients and we have nurses, doctors and a paramedic at the scene treating and stabilising the patients before we look to bring them through to Cairns and other major centres," he said.
RFDS Doctors and Nurses amoung first responders to a serious accident in #Kowanyama. 2 additional emergency RFDS crews on their way ETA 1pm.
— Royal Flying Doctor (@RoyalFlyingDoc) October 7, 2016
Mr Noble said the patients' injuries ranged in severity.
"As would be expected with a structural collapse, we have patients with multiple fractures and abrasions and possibly internal injuries as well," he said.
The driver was assisting police with their inquiries.
It was understood the large crowd was gathered for a funeral.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said four doctors and 10 nurses were able to get to the scene of what she described as a "very tragic incident".
"I'm going to be getting further updates during the course of the day and I just want to reassure the residents of Kowanyama that we are getting all the medical expertise that we can to that region to deal with the issues on the ground," she said.
Acting Inspector Gooiker said evacuation protocols set up since last year's Ravenshoe tragedy had assisted in the medivac procedures at Kowanyama on Friday.
