Three visitors to Beijing, two from Ireland and one from
Holland, were killed on Tuesday in the city when their mini-bus
collided with a heavy truck, the municipal information department
said.
The accident occurred at 9:25?AM Tuesday at a crossroads in
the Shunyi District. The mini-bus was carrying seven foreign
tourists.
When the two vehicles were negotiating the crossroads cement
drainage pipes fell off the truck and struck the rear of the
mini-bus killing three tourists outright, said the authorities.
?
The identity of the three who lost their lives has been
confirmed. They were Matthijs Kramer, a 51-year-old male from
Holland; James Fintan McCarthy, 37, an Irishman and Mary Sonya
Rabbitte, 33, a female from Ireland. ?
The accident also left another tourist from the Netherlands
slightly injured, according to the department. Others on board the
mini-bus, including the Chinese driver and a tour guide, were
unhurt, they said.
The visitors were on their way to visit the Great Wall in one of the city's suburbs. The
municipal foreign affairs office notified China's Foreign Ministry
and the Irish and Dutch embassies in China about the tragedy, the
department explained.
Municipal transportation, tourism and public security officials
also attended the accident scene to assist with rescue operations.
An investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.
?
(Xinhua News Agency August 2, 2006)