Seven Chinese tourists have been killed in a tour bus accident near the Hoover Dam in Arizona, with at least seven others seriously injured, a spokesman of the Chinese Consulate here confirmed Saturday.

An official works at the scene of a fatal tour bus accident that left seven Chinese tourists dead on US-93 near Dolan Springs, Arizona Jan. 30, 2009. [Xinhuanet.com]

The accident occurred Friday afternoon when the tour bus traveling to Las Vegas overturned on U.S. 93 highway about 40 kilometers south of the Hoover Dam, according to Chen Shijie of the Chinese Consulate.

The injured, most of them listed as in critical or serious condition, have been sent to two hospitals in Las Vegas for treatment, and officials from the consulate rushed there overnight to provide necessary help to the victims, Chen said.

The spokesman said that 16 tourists, all Chinese nationals, were aboard the tour bus, which was coming from the west rim of the Grand Canyon, when the accident happened. It is unclear whether the bus driver and the tour guide, who were also injured, are Chinese citizens.

Officials work at the scene of the tour bus accident that left seven Chinese tourists dead on US-93 near Dolan Springs, Arizona Jan. 30, 2009. [Xinhuanet.com]

It was reported that the bus, a 2007 Chevrolet Starcraft, was from San Gabriel, California-based DW Tour & Charter, which was licensed by the California Public Utilities Commission in July, 2008. The company was cited last October, but the details of the citation weren't available.

Bus travel to and from Las Vegas accounts for about 8 percent of the 40 million visitors arriving in Las Vegas, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. About 56,000 to 60,000 buses bring tourists to Las Vegas each year.