Asia-Pacific

At least 18 dead and dozens hurt in Hong Kong bus crash

Footage shows mangled remains of bus as it lay toppled on side of major highway

Firefighters and emergency personnel work at the site of a fatal incident after a double-decker bus crashed and toppled over near the town of Tai Po in Hong Kong’s northern New Territories. At least 19 people are reported to have been killed and dozens injured. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
Sat Feb 10 2018 - 14:48

At least 18 people died in a high-speed bus crash in Hong Kong on Saturday in one of the city's worst traffic incidents in recent years.

Television footage showed the mangled remains of the bus as it lay toppled on the side of a major highway in the northern reaches of the city. Firefighters at the scene cut open the bus roof to free passengers still trapped inside.

Some victims were laid out nearby beneath sheets by emergency workers.

Police said at least 18 people, including 15 men, had been confirmed dead at the scene. Dozens more were hurt, some sitting hunched on the highway with blood streaming from their injuries.

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High speed

One elderly man interviewed on television said the driver had been going extremely fast at the time of the incident, even taking bends at high speed.

First responders work at the scene of a bus crash on Tai Po Road, near Tsung Tsai Yuen, Tai Po, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. Photograph: Alex Hofford/EPA

An executive surnamed So, with the Kowloon Motor Bus Co that operated the bus, said HK$80,000 (€8,300) in financial assistance would be paid to the families of each victim.

The company said it would set up an investigation team to inquire into the cause of the crash. – Reuters