30 mainland tourists hurtin Taiwan coach crash

Thirty tourists from the Chinese mainland were injured when their coach overturned in Taiwan's eastern Hualien County yesterday afternoon.

Four were seriously hurt.

Among the seriously injured was 57-year-old Zhai Shuangjing, who suffered internal bleeding in her chest.

Zhai's husband, Jiao Lianhe, suffered minor injuries. He accompanied her as she was transferred to Hualien Hospital for treatment.

Another two female tourists, identified as Liu Guanglan, 57, and Hou Guizhi, 76, suffered serious injuries in the chest and head respectively.

A fourth tourist, Liu Tieji, 51, sustained a serious back injury.

The other tourists, who suffered various minor injuries in the accident, are being treated in medical facilities in Hualien County.

Four tourists in the group were unhurt.

Authorities said the tourists were part of a 35-person tour group that was organized by the Beijing-based China International Travel Service.

Their coach overturned at around 4:20pm.

Late last night, local traffic authorities clarified that one tourist did not make the trip, leaving the total number of tourists in the group at 34.

The tour group had arrived in Taiwan on September 20 and had initially planned to leave the island for home this Thursday.

Extra staff have arrived at the hospital to assist in various matters after the accident, according to local authorities.