Charge over US hurricane bus fire

Fire swept through the bus, which was carrying elderly evacuees

The driver of a US bus that caught fire last month, killing 23 elderly evacuees from Hurricane Rita in Texas, has been charged over the deaths.

Mexican driver Juan Gutierrez Robles, 37, is accused of criminally negligent homicide, a spokesman for Dallas County Sheriff's Department said.

The passengers were being moved from a nursing home in south-west Houston when the bus caught fire outside Dallas.

Sgt Don Peritz said evidence suggested Mr Robles "contributed to the deaths".

Only a charred shell was left after the bus went up in flames on a gridlocked motorway on 23 September.

The fire caused a 17-mile (27km) tailback on the main route north from the Gulf Coast to Dallas as people fled ahead of Hurricane Rita.

'Failed responsibility'

Sgt Don Peritz said 23 separate cases of criminally negligent homicide against Mr Robles had been forwarded to Dallas County District Attorney's Office.

"The bus is under his [Mr Robles'] care, custody and control and so is everyone on board," Sgt Peritz said.

"Safe transportation from the nursing home to the final destination is his responsibility. Based on the end result, he failed in that responsibility."

Speaking at a press conference, he said police had been unable to confirm early reports that Mr Robles had helped passengers off the bus.

Sgt Peritz declined to give specific examples of how Mr Robles' actions had been illegal, the Associated Press news agency reports.

The Mexican national was taken into federal custody on an immigration violation five days after the incident, AP adds.

Investigations immediately after the fire suggested it may have been caused by mechanical problems. Medical oxygen tanks carried for some of the passengers also exploded on board.

There was no comment on Monday from the Texas bus company, Global Limo Inc, AP says.