Injured Chinese treated in New Zealand hospitals

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - An 8-year-old boy who was injured when a bus carrying 30 Chinese passengers crashed in New Zealand's South Island Thursday was still in intensive care, but in a stable condition, the New Zealand Police said Friday.

The boy, whose age was previously given as 9, was in Dunedin Hospital with an injury to his abdomen, said a statement from the Police.

He was expected to stay with the intensive care unit and be assessed daily, it said.

His mother was with him and receiving support from Police victim support and the hospital.

Two other injured passengers were still being treated in Invercargill Hospital.

A 54-year-old man was in the critical care unit with rib fractures and bruising to his lungs, while a woman aged 62 was being treated for a fractured wrist.

All other passengers transported to Invercargill by ambulance were treated for minor to moderate injuries and released.

The passengers unhurt were transported to Te Anau Thursday night and were expected to go to Auckland Friday.

The New Zealand Police and the Chinese Consulate were liaising over the incident.

The 37-year-old driver of the bus was also a Chinese and had been living in Auckland for the last five years, said the statement.

He was an experienced bus driver and was assisting police officers with their enquiries.

The statement said road conditions were treacherous at the time in that area where the bus crashed, but police were awaiting expert reports before determining the cause of the crash.

The bus crashed on State Highway 94, about 4 km north of Mossburn in the southern region of Southland.

Police said Thursday that the bus appeared to have been traveling at a speed of about 40 to 50 km per hour behind another bus when it slid on black ice, turning 180 degrees and coming off the road backwards.

The Worldway bus had travelled to the opposite side of the road, landing on its side and hitting a power pole.

The Police serious crash unit and its commercial vehicle investigation unit were investigating the cause of the crash.