Ten die in US casino bus crash

Ten people died and dozens were injured when a bus overturned in northern California, police said today.

California Highway Patrol (CHP) officials said the crash happened near the town of Williams as the bus headed for a casino at the Colusa Casino Resort from Sacramento.

Patrol Commander Fran Clader said 10 people were killed and estimated that 20 to 30 others were injured.

CHP dispatcher Terry Troth said the bus came off the road and rolled over. No other vehicles appeared to be involved in the crash, he said.

Mr Troth did not know the extent of the injuries, but he said the victims were being transported to several hospitals.

He said emergency responders were having trouble communicating with the passengers because many of them were of Laotian descent.

Firefighters used torches to search the tall grass near the overturned bus, which lay in a ditch, for more possible bodies. The bus, which was covered in mud, had a crumpled roof and broken windows.

Laura Hennum, a spokeswoman at Enloe Medical Centre, told The Sacramento Bee newspaper that four patients in a critical condition and two with serious injuries had been admitted.