26 Chinese tourists killed in Taiwan bus fire

Taipei, July 19 (IANS) At least 26 Chinese passengers were killed on Tuesday when their bus crashed into a roadside barrier and burst into flames in Taiwan's Taoyuan municipality.

The accident occurred at 1.03 p.m. on the No. 2 national highway, near Taiwan's main international airport, located in Taoyuan, around 40 km from capital Taipei, EFE news reported.

All the victims, except the driver, who is Taiwanese, were Chinese tourists from the northern province of Liaoning.

The passengers did not have time to exit the bus before it burst into flames and exploded, officials said.

The cause of the fire remains unclear.