Britons critical after bus crash

Day breaks on the crash scene in Nevada

Relatives of the British tourists whose coach crashed in America, injuring all 41 on board and leaving several in critical condition, are to fly out to the US.

The accident, near Tonopah in Nevada, happened when the tourist coach flipped onto its side and skidded 200ft across a two-lane highway.

It started to flip over to the left and he, the driver, compensated, and it went to the right... It just slid for I don't know how long

Lionel Chambers

Two of the passengers, most of whom are said to be elderly, lost limbs and another six suffered critical injuries in the crash which happened at 1445 local time (2345 BST).

Among those on board were Audrey and Lionel Chambers from Felixstowe in Suffolk.

From his hospital bed, Mr Chambers told the BBC's Nine O'Clock News what happened.

"It started to flip over to the left and he, the driver, compensated, and it went to the right... It just slid for I don't know how long. I don't know how fast we were going, he wasn't driving recklessly, I don't think, at all," he said.

No seat belts

The tourists were on the 10th day of a 15-day holiday of a lifetime around the western US, and were on their way to the Californian ski resort of Mammoth Lakes when the crash happened.

A spokesman for UK tour operator Archers Direct, which chartered the coach from a Californian firm with a US driver, said there were 39 passengers and a tour director from Britain on board.

Another passenger, who escaped serious injury, was John Brown from Dunfermline, who questioned why no passenger seat belts were fitted in the bus.

He said: "It limits the amount of movement that a passenger could be thrown and pushed, and that's what a seat belt does, it restrains."

Asked whether seat belts could have made a difference to the casualty toll, Mr Brown said: "Possibly."

Airlifted

Nine of the most seriously injured were being treated at the University of Nevada Medical Center trauma unit in Las Vegas.

Its spokesman Rick Plummer said the most critically injured were a 72-year-old woman and a 46-year-old man from Derby, who had to be airlifted to the hospital.

The bus was on its way to a ski resort in California

The unnamed woman had been in surgery most of the night and had both arms amputated at the elbow. She was currently "serious" in the trauma intensive care unit, as was the unnamed man.

A 56-year-old man from Bolton was in "fair" condition, as were a 64-year-old man, a 52-year-old woman who worked for the bus company, and a woman, 63.

The other most critical passengers were airlifted to several hospitals in Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada, both of which lay five hours away from the crash site by road.

A spokeswoman for Washoe Medical Center, where 17 passengers were taken, said four people were seriously injured with broken bones and abrasions.

Archers Direct, which has sent staff to Nevada, released a list of the areas where the injured passengers - all in their early 50s to mid-70s - are from.

They are: Cheshire, County Durham, Derbyshire, Dyfed, Fife, Lanarkshire, Lancashire, London, Mid Glamorgan, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, West Midlands, West Sussex and Yorkshire.

Investigation

The Foreign Office confirmed that British consulate officials were travelling to Nevada, to help with arrangements for medial treatment and getting them home.

The coach blocked the road, causing traffic queues

Foreign Office Minister Baroness Scotland said she was shocked and "saddened" to hear of the severe injuries suffered by passengers.

A spokesman for Kent-based Archers Direct, said: "Staff in the USA are co-operating fully with the local authorities to determine the cause of the crash.

"Our immediate and primary concern is for the welfare of the customers and their relatives."

The bus was registered to California Sun Lines in Chatsworth, California, and was scheduled to arrive in San Francisco on Saturday.

The group were due to return to the UK on 13 September.

Archers Direct have set up an emergency helpline number for relatives on 020 8313 3016.