China's Foreign Ministry has demanded that the U.S. embassy to China facilitate travel for the families of those killed and injured in Friday's tour bus crash near the Hoover Dam in Arizona.

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]

In a statement released Sunday, the ministry confirmed that six Chinese nationals died and nine were injured, including one from Hong Kong.

The Chinese Embassy in the United States and Consulate General in Los Angeles immediately dispatched a team assist U.S. authorities with treating the injured and investigating the accident.

In collaboration with the Shanghai municipal government, the foreign ministry will send a task force to the United States to help deal with the accident, the statement said.

The foreign ministry also notified the Hong Kong Special Autonomous Region government, regarding the Hong Kong residents involved in the crash.

Related: Bereaved families pack for US

             Chinese injured in Arizona bus crash in stable condition

(Xinhua News Agency February 2, 2009)