13 Chinese tourists killed in Laos bus crash

Aug. 20 (UPI) -- A tour bus transporting dozens of Chinese tourists crashed in northern Laos, killing at least 13 people, officials said Tuesday.

The bus was carrying 46 people, including 44 Chinese citizens and two Loa nationals, when it skidded off the road Monday, about 25 miles from the city of Luang Prabang, injuring 31 people, two of whom were in serious condition, the Chinese Embassy in Laos said in a statement Tuesday.

The police said brake failure was the cause of the crash, China's state-run Xinhua reported.

A crane and other rescue equipment were required to right the bus after the accident, the embassy said.

The embassy said the People's Liberation Army Medical Team, in the country participating in joint China-Laos rescue training, was transported by military rescue helicopters to Luang Prabang to administer medical aid to the survivors, the statement said.

China's Ambassador to Laos Jiang Zaidong also flew to the city Tuesday to visit the injured.