Four Chinese nationals killed, 26 injured in Utah tour bus crash

Four Chinese tourists were killed and 26 injured in a bus crash in the U.S. state of Utah Friday, according to the Chinese embassy Saturday.

This image released on the Utah Highway Patrol tweeter feed shows a bus transporting Chinese tourists after it crashed on September 20, 2019, near Bryce Canyon National Park. [Photo: @UTHighwayPatrol / AFP]

According to a statement, embassy staff have visited the wounded in local hospitals, and have began contacting relatives of the deceased.

The crash occurred before Friday noon on the state road 12, about 5.6 km west of Bryce Canyon, according to local authorities. Utah Highway Patrol said 31 people were on the bus when the crash took place. Five of the wounded are in critical condition.

This photo released by the Garfield County Sheriff's Office shows a tour bus that was carrying Chinese tourists after it crashed near Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah, killing at least four people and critically injuring up to 15 others, Friday, Sept. 20, 2019. [Photo: Garfield County Sheriff's Office via AP/Sheriff Danny Perkins]

According to preliminary investigations, the bus drifted to the right side of the road as it was travelling east. The driver overcorrected to the left and the bus rolled one time. The bus landed on a guardrail during the roll and came to rest on its wheels blocking the westbound lane.

The Chinese embassy will continue to work with local police and hospitals to assist the victims, the statement said.

This photo provided by the Utah Highway Patrol shows a tour bus carrying Chinese-speaking tourists after it crashed near Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah, killing at least four people and critically injuring multiple others, Friday, Sept. 20, 2019. [Photo: Utah Highway Patrol via AP]