Ecuador crash survivors treated

Relatives and teachers have been paying tribute to those killed

Survivors of a bus crash in Ecuador, which left five British tourists dead, have been flown to hospitals in the capital Quito for treatment.

Twelve Britons, a French national and two Ecuadorians suffered whiplash, minor facial and leg injuries.

Gap-year students Indira Swann, 18, of Berks, Lizzie Pincock, 19, of Somerset, Rebecca Logie, 19, of Lancs, and Emily Sadler, 19, of Hertfordshire, all died.

Travel company guide Sarah Howard, 26, from Cheshire, was also killed.

'Bus shook'

Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Foreign Secretary David Miliband have both offered their sympathy to the families of those killed.

"It's every parent's worst nightmare to be going through what they are going through now," Mr Miliband said.

The group had been heading from Quito to the coast when their tour bus collided with a lorry.

She was a beautiful, bubbly girl with her whole life ahead of her. Her loss is indescribable Emily Sadler's family Tributes for crash dead

One survivor told the BBC: "I was asleep, as were most of the people on the bus. I remember a big bang and the whole bus shook, and everything just stopped."

The group was almost three weeks into a 15-week trip of a lifetime - an Inca and Amazon adventure involving language tuition and working on a series of volunteer projects.

The holiday was organised by the British tour company VentureCo, which specialises in gap-year trips.

Its director, Mark Davison, said: "I think it was just an unfortunate combination of circumstances. It's a tragic accident."

He said travel by road throughout South America had an inherent risk and pledged to review company procedures.

The parents of Emily Sadler have paid tribute to their "fun-loving and popular" daughter.

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A survivor's recollection of the crash

"She was a beautiful, bubbly girl with her whole life ahead of her. Her loss is indescribable," they said in a statement.

The 19-year-old lived in Northwood, Hertfordshire, with her parents, two sisters and two brothers.

She attended North London Collegiate School in Edgware and was on a gap year before going to Manchester University to study history.

In a statement, her school said she had done exceptionally well in her exams and had tremendous potential.

Another victim, Lizzie Pincock, was a prefect at Taunton School in Somerset.

Head teacher Dr John Newton described her as a gifted and distinguished pupil with an exceptional future before her.

The parents of Indira Swann told of their pride in their 18-year-old daughter.

Her father, Greg Swann, said: "She was independent and she did the travel with our full blessing, with our knowledge of the risks. We have no regrets about her going, other than the final outcome."

'Lorry involved'

The injured were airlifted back to Quito where they are receiving treatment in local hospitals.

British survivors were expected to return home at the earliest opportunity but foggy weather may delay their departure.

Chris Poole, the acting British ambassador in Quito, said his job was to make sure the Britons were well looked-after, and they got back on their way "as soon as possible".

The bus was torn apart in the crash

Talks with funeral directors were under way, he added.

Meanwhile, Ecuadorian authorities have begun an investigation into the cause of the crash. British diplomats are said to be assisting them.

The accident happened at 1930 local time on Saturday (0130 BST Sunday) in Sancan, on the road between Manta and Jipijapa.

Ecuadorian police said the driver of a lorry carrying a load of sand crashed into the bus, owned by Reina del Camino, a company well known to Warwick-based VentureCo.

The lorry driver then fled the scene.

News reports in Quito suggest the accident happened in thick fog which has been hanging over the country for several days.

The travellers on the 15-week Inca and Amazon Venture, which set out on 27 March, had been heading to the second stage of their trip, which involved volunteering on a development project at the fishing village of Puerto Lopez.

They were planning to renovate a children's creche there.

The group was reaching the end of an eight-hour journey and was 30 minutes from the village in the lowlands when the crash happened.

About 22,000 Britons visit Ecuador every year, according to the Foreign Office.

The South American country - which includes the Galapagos Islands - is known for its volcanoes, tropical forests and rich wildlife.

Anyone concerned for the safety of a relative in Ecuador can call the Foreign Office on 020 7008 1500.