Photographs show double-decker bus lying on its side with its roof torn off near Tai Po

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

At least 19 people have been killed and dozens injured after a double-decker bus overturned in Hong Kong.

Photographs published by local news media showed the bus lying on its side with its roof torn off near the town of Tai Po in the northern New Territories.

Rescuers were attempting to reach passengers trapped in the wreckage, although police were unable to say how many were still inside.

The dead included 17 men and two women, police said. It was not immediately known what caused the incident.

Deadly accidents are rare on Hong Kong’s public transport system, which it promotes as among the best in the world.

The city’s worst road traffic accident occurred in 2003 when a double-decker bus collided with a truck and plunged from a bridge, killing 21 people. In 2008, 18 people were killed in another bus crash.

The safety of Hong Kong’s waterways came under scrutiny after 39 people were killed when a high-speed ferry and a pleasure boat crashed in 2012.</s>At least 19 people have died and 40 more have been injured after a double-decker bus crashed in the New Territories of Hong Kong, a special administrative region in southeastern China. The accident was reported at around 6pm local time after the bus flipped on its side while going through Tai Po Kau, Tai Po Road, passing by a nature reserve. The cause of the crash is still unknown. This is one of the worst accidents of its kind in Hong Kong since 2003, when another double-decker bus plunged off a flyover after colliding with a truck, killing 21.</s>HONG KONG: The driver of a double-decker bus that overturned in Hong Kong killing at least 19 people and injuring more than 60 was arrested on Saturday evening for dangerous driving, police said.

Images from the scene showed rescuers trying to reach passengers trapped inside the bus, which lay on its side with part of its roof torn off near the town of Tai Po in the northern New Territories.

It appeared to have slid on its side and hit a lamppost which smashed into the upper decks of the vehicle. The driver has been arrested on charges of causing death and grievous bodily harm by dangerous driving.

In an updated toll in the early hours of Sunday morning the city's Hospital Authority said another victim had died, bringing the total to 19 fatalities.

But ten of the injured were in critical condition, while another 20 were seriously wounded, officials said.

Most of the dead and injured were on the upper deck of the bus, Chan Hing-yu of the fire department told reporters.

The driver was suspected of being over the speed limit as he went down a slope and lost control of the vehicle, senior traffic superintendent Lee Chi-wai told reporters.

He was not in need of any medical treatment after the crash and was be sober, he added.

Speaking to local media, passengers said the bus was going to fast before the crash.

"It was much faster than I normally felt in a bus," one injured passenger told the South China Morning Post's online edition.

"And then it was like the tyre slipped, and the bus turned. It was really chaotic in the bus. People fell on one another and got tossed from side to side," he said.

Before the crash, passengers had complained to the driver who was reportedly 10 minutes late and he then started speeding up, the Apple Daily reported, quoting injured passengers at the scene.

One injured passenger told the Oriental Daily said it was like the driver was "intentionally using the bus to throw a tantrum."

Lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting of the Democratic Party urged the government to rethink the design of double-decker buses saying the upper decks had been "repeatedly torn off in accidents, posing a serious threat to passengers on the upper level".

He also called the government to address the issue of many drivers working overly long hours.

City leader Carrie Lam, who visited survivors at the Prince of Wales Hospital late on Saturday, expressed "deep sorrow" and pledged there would be an independent investigation.

The southern Chinese city promotes its public transport system as one of the best infrastructures in the world but fatal accidents do occasionally happen.

Hong Kong's worst road traffic accident occurred in 2003 when a double-decker bus collided with a truck and plunged from a bridge, killing 21 people.

In 2008, 18 people were killed in another bus crash.

Fourteen people were injured last April when a double-decker tram tipped over, with a 23-year-old driver later arrested for dangerous driving causing harm to others.

The safety of Hong Kong's notoriously crowded waterways has also remained under scrutiny since 39 people were killed when a high-speed ferry and a pleasure boat crashed in 2012.</s>At least 19 people were killed and more than 60 others were injured when a when a double decker bus crashed in Hong Kong.</s>At least 19 killed in Hong Kong bus crash

At least 19 people were killed on Saturday after a double-decker bus overturned in New Territories in China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

A No. 872 bus lost control and toppled on Tai Po Road Saturday evening, local radio RTHK reported.

The police told Xinhua that 17 men and two women were confirmed dead at the scene.</s>HONG KONG: The driver of a double-decker bus that overturned in Hong Kong killing at least 19 people and injuring 65 was arrested on Saturday evening for dangerous driving, police said.

Images from the scene showed rescuers trying to reach passengers trapped inside the bus, which lay on its side with part of its roof torn off near the town of Tai Po in the northern New Territories.

It appeared to have slid on its side and hit a lamppost which smashed into the upper decks of the vehicle. The driver has been arrested on charges of causing death and grievous bodily harm by dangerous driving.

A press release by the Hong Kong government on Sunday said that 14 men and four women were certified dead at scene.

In addition, 63 men and three women were injured and sent to various hospitals for medical treatment. One man was later certified dead in hospital, taking the death toll to 19.

The police are investigating the fatal accident, which took place at about 6.15pm on Saturday, the release said.

"The 30-year old male bus driver was arrested for dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm. He is still being detained for further enquiries," the release said.

Most of the dead and injured were on the upper deck of the bus, Chan Hing-yu of the fire department told reporters.

The driver was suspected of being over the speed limit as he went down a slope and lost control of the vehicle, senior traffic superintendent Lee Chi-wai told reporters.

He was not in need of any medical treatment after the crash and was be sober, he added.

Speaking to local media, passengers said the bus was going to fast before the crash.

"It was much faster than I normally felt in a bus," one injured passenger told the South China Morning Post's online edition.

"And then it was like the tyre slipped, and the bus turned. It was really chaotic in the bus. People fell on one another and got tossed from side to side," he said.

Before the crash, passengers had complained to the driver who was reportedly 10 minutes late and he then started speeding up, the Apple Daily reported, quoting injured passengers at the scene.

One injured passenger told the Oriental Daily said it was like the driver was "intentionally using the bus to throw a tantrum."

Lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting of the Democratic Party urged the government to rethink the design of double-decker buses saying the upper decks had been "repeatedly torn off in accidents, posing a serious threat to passengers on the upper level".

He also called the government to address the issue of many drivers working overly long hours.

City leader Carrie Lam, who visited survivors at the Prince of Wales Hospital late on Saturday, expressed "deep sorrow" and pledged there would be an independent investigation.

The southern Chinese city promotes its public transport system as one of the best infrastructures in the world but fatal accidents do occasionally happen.

Hong Kong's worst road traffic accident occurred in 2003 when a double-decker bus collided with a truck and plunged from a bridge, killing 21 people.

In 2008, 18 people were killed in another bus crash.

Fourteen people were injured last April when a double-decker tram tipped over, with a 23-year-old driver later arrested for dangerous driving causing harm to others.

The safety of Hong Kong's notoriously crowded waterways has also remained under scrutiny since 39 people were killed when a high-speed ferry and a pleasure boat crashed in 2012.</s>Nineteen people were killed when a double-decker bus crashed Saturday in the Tai Po area of Hong Kong, according to Hong Kong police.

The accident left at 65 people injured, police said Sunday.

Images from the scene showed the passenger bus lying on its side. The top of the bus appeared to have been torn off, local media reported.

Police said Sunday the driver of the bus, a 30-year-old man, was arrested on dangerous driving charges and was being detained as the investigation continues.

Hong Kong’s double-decker buses can accommodate around 140 seated and standing passengers, depending upon the model.

Tai Po is in Hong Kong’s New Territories on the mainland.

The bus crash happened near a large horse racecourse where special arrangements had been made due to expected heavy traffic.</s>(2nd UPDATE) Passengers quoted by local media say the driver was going fast before the crash

HONG KONG, China (2nd UPDATE) – At least 19 people were killed and dozens injured when a double-decker bus toppled over in Hong Kong on Saturday evening, February 10, police said.

Photographs on local media websites showed the bus lying on its side with its roof torn off by a road near the town of Tai Po in the northern New Territories.

It appeared to have slid on its side and hit a lamppost which cut through the front of the vehicle.

Rescuers were attempting to reach passengers trapped in the wreckage, although police were unable to say how many were still inside the bus.

The dead included 17 males and two females, police said.

It was not immediately known what caused the accident but passengers quoted by local media said the driver was going fast before the crash.

"It was much faster than I normally felt in a bus," an injured passenger told the South China Morning Post's online edition.

"And then it was like the tire slipped, and the bus turned. It was really chaotic in the bus. People fell on one another and got tossed from side to side," he said.

Passengers had complained to the driver who was reportedly 10 minutes late and he then kept speeding up before the bus crashed, the Apple Daily reported, quoting injured passengers at the scene.

Lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting of the Democratic Party urged the government to investigate bus designs, "especially with the upper deck of buses having been repeatedly scrapped off in accidents, posing a serious threat to passengers on the upper level".

The southern Chinese city promotes its public transport system as one of the best infrastructures in the world but fatal accidents do occasionally happen.

Hong Kong's worst road traffic accident occurred in 2003 when a double-decker bus collided with a truck and plunged from a bridge, killing 21 people.

In 2008, 18 people were killed in another bus crash.

Fourteen people were injured last April when a double-decker tram tipped over, with a 23-year-old driver later arrested for dangerous driving causing harm to others.

The safety of Hong Kong's waterways has also remained under scrutiny since 39 people were killed when a high-speed ferry and a pleasure boat crashed in 2012. – Rappler.com</s>At least 19 people were killed when a double-decker bus crashed Saturday in the Tai Po area of Hong Kong, a spokeswoman for the Hong Kong police told CNN.

Dozens were injured in the wreck, police spokeswoman said.

Images from the scene showed the passenger bus lying in its side. The top of the bus appeared to have been torn off, local media reported.

At least 17 men and two women were among those killed, the spokeswoman said.

Tai Po is in Hong Kong’s New Territories on the mainland.

The bus crash happened near a large horse racecourse where special arrangements had been made due to expected heavy traffic.</s>At least 18 people have died after a double-decker bus crashed on Saturday evening in Hong Kong, police have said.

Local media reports quoted passengers as saying the crowded vehicle tipped over after it had been traveling too fast.

A police spokeswoman said 15 men and three women were killed in the accident near the town of Tai Po in the northern New Territories.

Nearly 50 people were injured and taken to hospitals, including 19 in serious condition, the Hospital Authority said.

The South China Morning Post said it was Hong Kong's worst road accident since a 2003 bus crash that killed 21.

Photos and videos published by social media showed the gold-coloured bus lying on its side with its roof torn off, while emergency workers treated injured passengers nearby.

It appeared to have slid on its side and hit a lamppost which cut through the front of the vehicle.

Rescuers were attempting to reach passengers trapped in the wreckage, although police were unable to say how many were still inside.

'It was much faster than I normally felt in a bus,' an injured passenger told the South China Morning Post's online edition.

'And then it was like the tyre slipped, and the bus turned. It was really chaotic in the bus. People fell on one another and got tossed from side to side,' he said.

Earlier passengers complained to the driver who was reportedly 10 minutes late.

He then kept speeding up before the bus crashed, the Apple Daily reported, quoting injured passengers at the scene.

'(The driver was) intentionally using the bus to throw a tantrum,' another injured passenger told the Oriental Daily.

Lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting of the Democratic Party urged the government to investigate bus designs, 'especially with the upper deck of buses having been repeatedly torn off in accidents, posing a serious threat to passengers on the upper level'.

The Chinese city promotes its public transport system as one of the best infrastructures in the world but fatal accidents do occasionally happen:
• In 2003 a double-decker bus collided with a truck and plunged from a bridge, killing 21 people
• In 2008, 18 people were killed in another bus crash
• In April 2017 14 people were injured when a double-decker tram tipped over, with a 23-year-old driver later arrested for dangerous driving

The safety of Hong Kong's waterways has also remained under scrutiny since 39 people were killed when a high-speed ferry and a pleasure boat crashed in 2012.
A double-decker bus overturns near Tai Po in Hong Kong, killing at least 19 people.