Tour bus veers off bridge, killing 13 in China

BEIJING – State media say a tour bus in eastern China plunged into the ocean after veering off a bridge, killing 13 people.

The official Xinhua News Agency says a total of 22 people, including the driver, were aboard the bus when it slid off a bridge in Weihai City in eastern Shandong province Thursday afternoon.

The report cites rescue officials as saying that nine survivors were pulled out of the icy waters. Two of them were in serious condition at the hospital though the others have stabilized.

Xinhua says an initial investigation points to a rain-slick road as the cause for the accident. The passengers were all traveling from southern Guangdong province.