China praises help for crash victims

Chinese officials on Thursday thanked the responders and the Las Vegas community for taking care of victims in the Jan. 30 fatal bus crash south of Hoover Dam.

"As word broke, the rescue medical treatment, the assistance we got from the relevant U.S. organizations were very swift, orderly and effective," said Wang Xingping, deputy consul general in San Francisco for the People's Republic of China.

Wang also thanked two local Chinese communities and the American people.

"They've been doing a very, very good job, and they gave a lot of warmth to the relatives of the injured in this accident," Wang said.

The tour bus crash on U.S. Highway 95 in Arizona, about 25 miles south of the dam, left seven people dead and 10 injured, including the driver.

Authorities are working to return the deceased to China.

Zhu Cheng Rong, assistant chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration, said the crash survivors and families of the deceased have chosen a Los Angeles law firm to handle their case. The firm, Masry & Vititoe, specializes in bus crash lawsuits, according to the firm's Web site.

Zhu said she did not know if a lawsuit would be filed against the bus operator, California-based D.W. Tour & Charter. A working group of Chinese officials have not been in touch with the owner of the company, she said.

Calls and e-mails to the tour company haven't been returned.

Authorities believe the crash occurred when the tour bus driver tried to fix a problem door and was blinded by the sun's glare.

Contact reporter Lawrence Mower at lmower@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0440.