Two Chinese tourists injured in 2nd US bus crash

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-02-04 08:52

SHANGHAI -- Two Chinese tourists were injured Monday in a second bus crash following last Friday's deadly accident in the US, the Shanghai Tourism Administration (STA) said Tuesday.

The accident occurred midday Monday near Philadelphia, when the tour bus backed up and collided with a mini-bus behind it, according to a statement of Shanghai China International Travel Service (SCITS) sent to the STA.

The tour leader, Chen Jiaying, sustained minor cuts on her face and Yu Meizhen, a tourist, had contusions on her chest, said Hou Cangzhou, an SCITS official.

Eighteen passengers including 15 tourists, a tour leader, tour guide and a driver were on the way to a restaurant after visiting Philadelphia.

"All the tourists decided to shift to another bus to continue their visits after the accident. The injured tourist was treated after supper," Hou said. "The tourists are visiting in Washington D.C. now."

The STA has notified travel agencies in Shanghai to strengthen safety checks and ensure the safety of tourists.

The accident was the second Chinese tour bus crash in the US within a week. Six Chinese tourists and a tour guide died last Friday when a tour bus crashed on a highway near the Hoover Dam in the US state of Arizona. Eight others were injured.

The victims' family members, local officials and a travel agency staff left for the US Tuesday afternoon to deal with the aftermath.

Among the injured, 8-year-old Wu Shuang and his parents have been discharged from hospital. The injured Hong Kong tourist Lau Yeekwan could walk and was getting better.

The cause of the fatal accident is still under investigation. The China Pacific Insurance (Group) Co. Ltd. (CPIC) has paid 1.85 million yuan (US$270,000) to families of the six dead from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, according to the CPIC Shanghai Branch.