'Many Chinese Tourists Die In N Korean Bus Crash'

A road accident in North Korea has caused 'heavy casualties' among Chinese tourists, the foreign ministry said in Beijing on Monday.

The ministry said the crash occurred on Sunday night in North Hwanghae province, south of the capital Pyongyang. Details on the numbers of victims were not given and Chinese diplomats reached in Pyongyang said they would issue a statement later.

Footage on Chinese state broadcaster CCTV showed the mangled wreckage of a bus in the dark with rain falling. Rescue vehicles were at the scene and injured people were shown being treated in hospital.

The ministry provided few details but state broadcaster CGTN earlier tweeted that more than 30 people died when the bus fell from a bridge. The tweet was later deleted.

The vast majority of foreign tourists to North Korea are Chinese, with the Cold War-era allies sharing a long land border and operating flights between the two countries.

Tens of thousands of mainland tourists are believed to visit the North every year, with many crossing by train through the border city of Dandong.

North Korean roads are largely poor and potholed, and in many areas they are dirt rather than tarmac. (AFP, AP)

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