At least eight Chinese killed in bus crash in Laos

The Embassy of China in Laos on August 20 confirmed that at least eight Chinese citizens were killed while 29 people were injured and one remained missing after a bus crash in northern Laos.

Rescuers work near the accident site where a tour bus carrying Chinese tourists crashed near the northern town of Luang Prabang, Laos

Lao police said the accident occurred on August 19 when a tour bus carrying 44 Chinese tourists and two Lao nationals skidded off a road between Vientiane capital city and Luang Prabang.

The bus driver and the Lao tour guide were among the injured.

Local police said the crash was probably caused by brake failure.

The monsoon season in Lao from June to October drenches rural roads with heavy rains, creating slippery conditions.

According to the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, more than 4.1 million visitors came to Laos in 2018, of whom some 800,000 came from China, an annual increase of 26 percent.

This year, Laos expects to welcome more than 1 million Chinese visitors.

VNA