Taiwan: 22 killed in tour-bus crash

A tour bus crashed into a steep ravine in a mountain area in southern Taiwan, killing 22 and seriously injuring 24 others, officials said today.

The double-decker bus tumbled into the ravine on Sunday as it wound its way down the mountain road after stopping at Meiling in Tainan County, officials said.

Taiwanese media quoted witnesses as saying most of the victims were thrown from the vehicle’s broken windows as the bus tumbled down the ravine before coming to a halt.

“Their bodies hit the boulders as they were tossed out and they died on the spot,” the United Daily News quoted eyewitness Liu Chien-chen as saying.

The injured, including 16 children, were treated for broken bones and other injuries, said a spokesman of the Kaohsiung municipal government, where most of the bus passengers came from.

“As we understand, the injured were all in pretty serious conditions,” Hau Chien-sheng said.

Transport Minister Tsai Tuei said the tour bus was 18-years-old but had recently passed a safety inspection. Authorities will consider lawmakers’ demands to restrict older buses from driving in mountainous roads, Tsai said today.

Prosecutor Lin Chih-feng said the cause of the accident was being investigated.