Six dead in Taiwan tour bus crash

A tour bus crashed against a wall in eastern Taiwan yesterday afternoon, leaving six people dead and nearly two dozen injured.

The bus, carrying 45 passengers, ran off the road on the Suhua Highway, Taiwan's Central News Agency reported citing the Tourism Bureau.

The vehicle was part of a convoy of three buses carrying 130 people, all Taiwanese, on a group tour to Hualien, the bureau said.

Chiayi City Government Fire Bureau Deputy Chief Cheng Jung-kuei announced on Facebook that his office received a report that a tour bus had swerved into a retaining wall at the 115-kilometer mark of the Suhua Highway.

Rescue vehicles from the Second Brigade, Suao, Nanao, and Guanyin departments had been dispatched to the site of the accident, Taiwan News said.

Nine were seriously injured in the crash, while 30 others suffered slight injuries, reports added.

The cause of the accident is currently under investigation. The bus driver had no record of traffic violations, according to the Directorate General of Highways.