Seven Chinese mainland tourists injured in a bus accident in Taiwan returned to the mainland Thursday after weeks of treatment in the island province, said Taiwan sources.

A bus carrying tourists from the mainland plunged off a mountain road into a deep valley in central Taiwan at about 7:50 PM on Oct. 2, killing six and injuring 15.

The dead were cremated in Taiwan and those who were only slightly injured soon returned to the mainland.

The seven people who returned Thursday morning were all seriously injured in the accident and had been receiving treatment in a local hospital. One other seriously injured tourist has been transferred to another hospital in Taiwan.

The families of the dead will each receive a payment of 3.5 million New Taiwan dollars (875,000 yuan) and the injured will get 230,000 New Taiwan dollars (57,500 yuan) from the Taiwan Association of Travel Agents, according to previous reports.

The 40-member tourist group was taking two buses from Mount Alito Taichung. There were 18 tourists, one mainland guide, one local guide and a driver on the bus that crashed.

The accident was caused by brake failure, according to the bus driver.

(Xinhua News Agency October 27, 2006)