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Relatives of Egypt accident killed or wounded arrive Karol
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-02-02 13:27
HONG KONG: A holiday in Egypt for 43 Hong Kong residents turned into a tragedy after
their coach overturned on a highway in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada
Jan 31, 2006, killing at least 14 people and injuring several others.
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Relatives of some
Hong Kong visitors that killed or wounded in a tour coach accident in
South Egypt's Red Sea resort of Hurghada arrive at Karol International
Airport February 2, 2006. The accident happened two days ago, killing at
least 14 visitors and wounding another 30. Now 9 of the wounded have
been sent to Karol for treatment while the rest of them are still treated
in a local hospital. [Xinhua]
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| The Hong
Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government expressed shock over the
accident and would send officers to the country for assistance.
Speeding was believed to be the reason of the accident, said a tourist
surnamed Wong, whose shoulder was injured.
Wong, who was sitting with his wife behind the driver, said he believed the
driver was going too fast. His wife died after the accident.
"The tour guide was introducing the tourist spot," Wong told Hong Kong's
Commercial Radio. "The coach was moving fast, and I thought the driver had
exceeded speed limit. I asked the tour guide to ask the driver to slow down, but
it was too late as the driver had already turned at a sharp corner, and the
coach then overturned."
"All of us had suffered," he said. "None of us were fine."
The 10-day trip, organized by Hong Kong tourist agency Jetour, departed Hong
Kong for Egypt on Friday with the participation of 43 tourists, of which 16 were
men, 24 women and three children. Only one of them was not covered by travel
insurance.
Agency operations director Thomas Chau said the tour group was leaving from
Hurghada to the ancient historic city of Luxor at noon yesterday local time.
The coach overturned one hour later. The victims were rushed to Hurghada
General Hospital, and some were later transferred to hospitals in Cairo, the
capital.
Chau said the identity of those who died and injured could not be verified,
but added that about six of them suffered from minor injuries and they were
helping the agency to update the information.
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