appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

SCMP Reporter

Two Hong Kong tourists - one of them a nine-year-old girl - were killed and another was seriously injured in a car accident in Japan. 
Tommy Zau Chuen-wai, 50, a senior manager at Philips Electronics Hong Kong and a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference of Zhejiang  province, was driving a car which collided head-on with a truck on an icy road on the northern island of Hokkaido.
Zau was killed along with the girl, one of three passengers in the car. The girl, who could only be identified as Stacey, was a daughter of a friend of Zau. They were among a group of nine Hong Kong tourists travelling in two cars.
The cause of the accident was unknown but media reports said the cars were passing through Kimobetsu  - a small town 50 kilometres southwest of Sapporo  - at around  9.40pm on Wednesday when Zau's car hit the truck and was then rammed from behind by a second car carrying the rest of the party. 
Zau is believed to have lost control of his vehicle.
Another passenger of Zau's, reportedly a Filipino maid, was seriously injured. The rest of the group were reportedly unhurt.
The tour group was travelling a scenic route  linking Sapporo and Toya Lake  in southern Hokkaido.
Zau was an  information technology manager for Philips. A spokesman for Philips Electronics Hong Kong said Zau's wife informed the company of his death yesterday morning. Philips is arranging for her and their two daughters, aged 14 and 17, to return to Hong Kong as early as tonight.
Zau's remains are expected to be returned next week.
Motoring holidays have become increasingly popular  with Hong Kong tourists. Japan, with good roads and facilities, is among the most popular destinations.
The executive director of EGL Tours, Steve Huen Kwok-chuen, said the road was not an accident black spot and many tour groups had taken the route to the southern part of Hokkaido.
Cheng Cho-kwong, chairman of the Hong Kong Commercial Vehicle Driving Instructors Association, said motoring holidays could be dangerous. 'However experienced a driver is, he may not be familiar with the road condition overseas,' he said.



HK tourists killed in crash in Japan