Accident kills two HK tourists
(China Daily)
Updated: 2005-02-14 07:20

Seven Hong Kong tourists who survived a fatal bus accident in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region have returned home.

Two other passengers, a couple from Hong Kong, were killed in Friday's accident, according to the local government.

Another 10 injured Hong Kong tourists will remain in Guilin, a tourist attraction in Guangxi, to receive treatment, Xinhua News Agency reported.

It quoted an official with the Guilin city government as saying that all the injured are in a stable condition.

On Friday morning a bus carrying 22 people, including 19 from Hong Kong, overturned and plunged off a bridge in Longsheng County.

Traffic police there said rainy weather and slippery roads were two factors behind the accident.

The two dead are Choy Yam Hung and Hul Ping, police authorities in Guilin told Xinhua.

The pair lived in Ma On Shan in Sha Tin. Their two young sons were among the dozen people injured in the accident.

The couple's bodies could be cremated in Guilin, said the official, adding that six family members have arrived in the city to deal with funeral arrangements.

The Guilin city government has arranged care for the boys, aged eight and nine, at the Guilin Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, where most of the injured passengers are being treated.

Yang Shaoxiong, the bus driver,was being held by police, the local government confirmed on Saturday.

"The investigation is still under way and sorting out compensation will start soon," said the official.

Staff from Miramar Express, the Hong Kong travel agency which organized the trip to Guilin, and an insurance company staff have arrived in the city to deal with the aftermath, said the official.

According to Xinhua, Miramar Express has contacted related insurance companies and Guangxi local companies about compensation for the dead and injured Hong Kong residents.

The Hong Kong Tourism Industry Association has sent a letter to the Guangxi Tourism Administration to establish the cause of the accident.

It is considering reviewing the safety guidelines given to Hong Kong tourists outside of Hong Kong.

Henry Tang, Hong Kong acting chief executive at the time of the accident and also financial secretary, was deeply saddened to learn of the accident.

Tang said the Immigration Department would give all practical help necessary to the victims of the accident and their families. 

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