All 21 Taiwanese tourists injured in a fatal bus accident in southwestern Guizhou Province on Monday are in a stable condition and are expected to recover soon.

The tourists are receiving care in a leading hospital in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou, officials said yesterday.

The investigation into the accident, which killed three mainlanders on the highway between Guiyang and Huangguoshu, is still under way.

Reports indicate the bus carrying the Taiwanese tourists hit the back of a truck that had broken down and was being repaired on the roadside.

The driver of the bus, a local guide and the truck driver were killed instantly. The 21 Taiwanese tourists suffered a variety of injuries.

Three Taiwanese tourists suffered serious injuries, with one of them suffering head injuries. All three are in a stable condition.

"Thanks to intensive care and medical treatments, all the injured tourists are progressing well. They are staying in the hospital and have expressed their willingness to co-operate with any investigation into the accident," said Yang Jun, deputy director of the provincial Tourism Administration Bureau.

Officials from the provincial Office of Taiwan Affairs said eight relatives of the injured had arrived in Guiyang yesterday.

"We will do everything we can to facilitate the relatives' stay in Guiyang, including providing transport between the hospital and their hotel and preparing food for them," said a spokeswoman of the office.

Top health, tourism and police officials from the province are overseeing the treatment of the patients and the accident investigation.

Meanwhile, International SOS Hong Kong, a 24-hour emergency assistance provider, yesterday sent a nurse to Guizhou Province to monitor the patients' treatment.

The organization will be involved in transporting the patients back to Taiwan as there are no direct links from the mainland to the province.

(China Daily 05/24/2001)