Bereaved Chinese families to arrive in Thailand

BANGKOK -- Families of three Chinese tourists who were killed in a bus crash on Phuket Island on Wednesday will be arriving in Thailand soon, China's consular office in Phuket said Thursday.

One bereaved family will land in Phuket in the evening while the other two are going through necessary procedures, the office said.

Around noon on Wednesday, a tour bus carrying 18 Chinese tourists plunged into a valley, killing three and injuring 15 others.

An agreement has largely been reached for a local insurance company to cover medical expenses for the injured, with compensations for the deceased pending further negotiations by relevant parties, according to the consular office.

Three tourists were severely injured in the accident, whose conditions have improved after surgeries, said Chen Chen, a volunteer tourist police in Phuket.

The local police station is proceeding with its investigation into the accident.

On Thursday morning, officials from the China National Tourism Administration and the consular office visited the victims again in the hospital. They will stay on in Phuket to cooperate with relevant Chinese and Thai agencies in the follow-up work, the office said.