10 dead, dozens injured in California tour bus crash

• Source: Xinhua
• [10:41 April 29 2009]
• Comments

Eight people are in critical condition and all the injured are being treated at a hospital near Soledad, about 200 kilometers south of San Francisco, local television station KSBW quoted hospital officials as saying.

The crash occurred at about 3:20 p.m. on the U.S. 101 highway when the day-night tour bus carrying 48 French tourists heading from San Francisco to Santa Maria overturned in Soledad, with three or four passengers ejected from the bus, officials said.

"We had a tour bus traveling south on Highway 101, crossing thorough the city of Soledad," said Brian West of the California Highway Patrol. "The bus overturned and passengers were ejected."

Crash victims were brought by helicopters to Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital, which is asking for French speakers, according to KSBW.