Three Chinese tourists were critically injured while a dozen others were hurt when the bus they were riding in collided with a car on a major tourist route in South Island, New Zealand on Thursday, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

At least 16 tourists, mostly Chinese, were rushed to the hospital for various injuries while three were treated for critical injuries, the Chinese Consulate in Christchurch, New Zealand said.

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All of those injured in the road accident were brought to the Christchurch Hospital, most them flown from the crash scene to the hospital via a rescue helicopter, authorities revealed.

A police statement said the 31 tourists from Shanghai were onboard the tourist bus when it collided with a car, also boarded by three tourists, on State Highway 73 at Otira Gorge in New Zealand's Canterbury region.

The nationalities of the three tourists onboard the car were not known yet as of press time yesterday.

The road was shut down for several hours as the bus tipped over on to its side following the crash, blocking an entire lane, the police added.

The identities of those critically injured have not been disclosed as of this posting although the Chinese Consul General and officials from the consulate were attending to the victims at Christchurch Hospital.

Other motorists took care of the injured people before emergency services arrived at the scene, the police said.

The road where the accident occurred is popular with tourists travelling between the east and west New Zealand's South Island. Authorities urged tourists not to rush when passing the said road and instead take their time to enjoy the scenery.

TagsNew Zealand Accident, New Zealand Bus Accident, Chinese Tourists, Chinese Tourists Accident