24th March 2023 – (Hong Kong) At 12.57pm today, a devastating accident involving 5 tour buses and one truck occurred near the entrance of Tseung Kwan O Tunnel in Hong Kong. 5 tour buses carrying around 244 passengers including students, one of the tour buses carrying around 50 elderly passengers and a truck collided with each other, resulting in 88 injuries including 50 students and 20 elderly passengers while 4 of them sustained severe injuries. The accident took place opposite to the Tsui Ping (South) Estate, near the Tseung Kwan O Tunnel entrance. The driver of one of the tour buses was trapped, but fortunately conscious and awaiting rescue.
According to on-site images, rescue personnel were seen directing passengers away from the scene of the bus accident. They laid out a plastic mat from the centre of the road, and some students and other passengers were seen sitting on it. Meanwhile, a large group of students were seated by the roadside.
Rescue workers stated that in the accident, 18 fire trucks and 43 ambulances were dispatched, along with 58 firefighters and 92 paramedics. It took them 65 minutes to evacuate 244 people from the vehicles, including one tour bus driver who was trapped and suffered a broken bone, requiring about 40 minutes to rescue him. Due to busy traffic at the scene, space needed to be cleared to accommodate the crowd and comfort young children. A total of 88 people were injured in the accident, with cuts and bruises to their hands, feet, and faces, and were sent to eight hospitals, including Kwong Wah Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Eastern District Hospital, Prince of Wales Hospital, Caritas Medical Centre, Christian United Hospital, Tseung Kwan O Hospital, and Princess Margaret Hospital. Police officers indicated that the speed limit in the area was 50 kilometres per hour, and all five drivers passed the breathalyser test. They believe that the five vehicles were not speeding and were taken to the Kowloon Bay vehicle impound centre for inspection.
The reason behind the accident is still unknown, and an investigation is underway. According to the Transport Department, due to the incident, some lanes of the Tseung Kwan O Road towards Tseung Kwan O, near Tsui Ping South Estate, have been closed.
A dashcam footage capturing the moment of the accident has been circulating online. In the video, it can be seen that the traffic on Tseung Kwan O Road was not too busy at the time. A minibus was driving diagonally up Tseung Kwan O Road. A taxi suddenly overtook, causing the minibus to slow down. The two tour buses following behind also slowed down as usual, but the truck in the middle failed to stop in time, hitting the rear of the front tour bus. The last two vehicles, unable to stop in time, collided with the rear of the bus in front, causing a chain reaction that resulted in a five-vehicle pileup.
Meanwhile, the Kwun Tong District Office and the Sai Kung District Office have set up an interdepartmental help desk at the Accident and Emergency Department, United Christian Hospital. In addition, the Sha Tin District Office has also set up an interdepartmental help desk at the Accident and Emergency Department, Prince of Wales Hospital for assistance and public enquiries.
The help desks are located at:
| Location | Enquiry hotlines | |
| 1. | Accident and Emergency Department, United Christian Hospital | 2171 7426 and 3949 4000 |
| 2. | Accident and Emergency Department, Prince of Wales Hospital | 3505 1555 |
Additional help desks will be set up when necessary.
