18 Killed, Nearly 50 Injured in Double-Decker Bus Crash

At least 18 people were killed and nearly 50 more injured when a double-decker bus carrying spectators and workers from a horse-racing track crashed Saturday in Hong Kong, the BBC reports. According to CNN, images from the scene show the bus on its side with its top apparently torn off. Reuters reports firefighters had to cut open the bus' roof to free the passengers inside. Injured passengers were transported to 12 hospitals.

The bus was running a special route for race days, but the bus' operator says the driver knew the route and had a good driving record. An elderly man at the scene says the driver had been going much too fast on the major highway, even on curves. An executive with The Kowloon Motor Bus Co. says $10,230 will be paid to the family of each victim. Deadly accidents are rare for Hong Kong's public transportation. Saturday's crash appears to be the worst since a double-decker bus fell off an elevated roadway in 2003, killing 21 people. (More bus crash stories.)