Source:
https://scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3020568/two-buses-crash-hong-kong-leaving-50-injured-and-driver Transport
Two buses crash in Hong Kong, leading to 77 injured and driver trapped
- Five people in serious condition after collision near Tai Lam Tunnel that triggers major emergency response
- Bus driver freed from double-decker wreck in New Territories
The buses collided during rush hour near Ting Kau Bridge. Photo: Felix Wong
Two buses crashed in Hong Kong on Tuesday morning on the Tsing Long Highway, injuring 77 people and leading to a major operation involving at least 41 emergency vehicles.
A rescue mission was launched following the incident just before 8.30am on the highway, near the Tsuen Wan exit of Tai Lam Tunnel. The crash had trapped a driver in one of the vehicles.
A government spokesman said 77 people were injured, with six sent to public hospitals Caritas Medical Centre, Kwong Wah Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital, Pok Oi Hospital, Tin Shui Wai Hospital and Yan Chai Hospital.
The spokesman said five people – three men and two women – were in serious condition.
Firemen and medics rescue passengers from the bus in dramatic television footage. Photo: Cable TV News
A KMB and a Citybus vehicle were involved in the collision. The trapped Citybus driver was freed by firefighters and treated for injuries.
According to the fire service, 26 ambulances and 15 fire engines were sent to the scene.
The front of one bus was smashed in from the impact of the collision, while glass was scattered around the road.
Passengers, many of whom are injured, wait by the side of the road near the Tsuen Wan exit of Tai Lam Tunnel. Photo: Facebook
A man surnamed Lai, who was a passenger on one of the two buses, said many on board were napping when the crash occurred.
“People were thrown from their seats,” he said, adding that he hit his head on the seat in front of him.
One of the bus’ windscreens is smashed in. Photo: Felix Wong
The 58-year-old Citybus driver had started his shift at 7.11am on route 967 from Tin Shui Wai to Admiralty.
According to Citybus, the driver has been with the company since 1990 and driven on this route for many years. He passed a medical examination last September and his previous day off was on Sunday.
The company also said the double-decker bus in question, bought more than three years ago, had passed its inspection on July 11.
Citybus added it would help the driver and injured passengers, as well as fully cooperate with a police investigation.
The incident was the latest in a series of bus crashes in Hong Kong.
On the same highway on July 18, a driver died and 14 other people were injured in a collision between a truck and bus.
A day later, 10 were injured in a crash between a double-decker bus and a minibus in Tsuen Wan.
Official figures show that 50 people have died in 49 fatal traffic accidents across the city in the first six months of this year.