Life of Guangzhou - 1 Died, 30 Injured in an Accident on a Trail of Death

A 13-year-old girl was killed and more than 30 people injured yesterday when a tour bus careered out of control in Garden Road, Central, smashing into five taxis, two cars and a van before ramming into the east wing of the SAR government headquarters.

Schoolgirl Li Yiu-fan was knocked down by the bus and killed instantly as she crossed Lower Albert Road opposite the Peak Tram with other pedestrians shortly after 4.15pm.

The driver of the packed bus apparently lost control and tried to slow the vehicle by steering it into crash barriers on either side of the road but instead left a trail of destruction in its wake.

One taxi was hit with such force that it flipped over and another was left lying on its side.

Witnesses on the bus said the driver, 33 - who was injured and has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving causing death - screamed: "No brakes! no brakes!" as the bus veered left and right.

Last night two of the 32 people injured were in critical condition and five others were listed as serious.

Li was a Secondary One student at Tang Shiu Kin Secondary School in Wan Chai. She was on her way to take part in a two-day camp organized by her school and the Young Women's Christian Association.

The bus crashed into the traffic island, knocking down road signs and tearing up flower beds before plowing into the pedestrians and ramming into the entrance of the government building.

The rear and front of the bus were damaged, but most of the passengers were unharmed. It was taking more than 100 Tuen Mun residents on a day-trip. Tuen Mun district councillor Chan Man-wah was on the bus.

"I heard some [screeching] sounds and I realized the brakes may have problems from my experience as a driver. I heard the driver screaming `no brakes, no brakes,' then I saw other vehicles next to us were swiped until we finally came to a stop," Chan said.

The upturned taxi was carrying two elderly women and a young man. One woman was trapped and had to be rescued. Lee Wing-kee, owner of a flower shop across the street from the US consulate, was working in the shop when he heard some bangs.

He said: "I only saw the bus for a second and it was gone. It was like in a movie."

Police senior superintendent (Traffic Hong Kong Island) Chiu Kai-ting said no skid marks were found at the scene.

Police are still investigating whether or not the bus went through a red light. A spokesman for the tour bus rental company said the five-year-old vehicle was inspected just three weeks ago.

Last night Yiu-fan's sister said she loved drawing and had good academic results.

(By Nickkita Lau)

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