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Nora Tong

Last updated at 6.50pm:
At least 21 people were killed and 20 injured when a bus skidded off Tuen Mun Road near Ting Kau bridge around 6.35am, the Government confirmed on Thursday afternoon.
 
The double-decker 265M KMB bus was fully loaded when it plunged some 50 metres from the bridge and narrowly missed a village house.

The front of the bus was ripped open; many of  the injured were unconscious and blood-stained when being dragged from the wreckage, local TV reported.

It is Hong Kong's worst ever traffic accident.

Some of the dead were wrapped in plastic bags and immediately carried to a temporary mortuary set beside the crash scene. Only two bodies have been identified.
 
Three of the injured are in critical condition, fourteen are in serious condition and three are stable, local radio reported. 

The bus reportedly crashed through safety barriers after colliding with a truck on the road.

Police have now confirmed that the bus driver was among those who died, local television reported.

The injured, aged between 10 and 55, were rushed to Yan Chai Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital, Tuen Mun Hospital and Caritas Medical Centre for treatment. Most were in a critical condition.
 
Independent legislator Albert Chan Wai-yip said on Thursday morning, on the radio programme Teacup in the Storm, there were many traffic black spots along the Ting Kau Bridge.

'The roads are not wide enough and there are many hidden turns,' Mr Chan said.

The safety barrier was relatively weak given the height of the bridge, he added.

'A tight budget at the time of construction explains why the structure of the bridge is not up to standard,' Mr Chan said.

Meanwhile, Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works Sarah Liao Sau-tung said she was 'shocked and saddened' by the accident. She sent her condolences to families of the victims.

Ms Liao said the Government was considering upgrading the bridge.

Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa visited the crash scene at Ting Kau village two hours after the accident and said he was saddened by the news. Mr Tung said he would request Home Affairs Department and Social Welfare Department to offer all possible help to victims and their families.

A KMB spokeswoman said the bus had been operating for about two years.

Earlier it was reported that 22 people had died, but a government spokesman later confirmed that it was 21.

Meanwhile, Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works Sarah Liao Sau-tung and Director of Highways Mak Chai-kwong told a press briefing that safety barriers at Tuen Mun Road, where the accident occurred, complied with international standards .

Mr Mak said the severity of damage done to barriers at the accident site was rare.

The Director of Highways said the safety barriers had been designed to meet international safety requirements.
 
Ms Liao said that a thorough investigation would be carried out; changes would be made to the current safety barriers if necessary.

But Hung Wing-tat, of Department of Civil and Structural Engineering at Hong Kong Polytechnic University said the safety barriers were unable to protect large vehicles involved in accidents.

Chan Wai-yip said the barriers were too weak because of the height of the bridge.

In other developments, a truck driver has been arrested for dangerous driving in connection with the accident.

Anyone seeking information should call: 1878-999



At least 21 die as bus plummets from Ting Kau bridge