Three British students were killed when a bus crashed Thursday near one of South Africa's World Cup host cities, police and British officials said.
Provincial police spokesman Capt. Leonard Hlathi told The Associated Press the vehicle was carrying 22 people - including 18 students and two teachers - when it veered off the road near the town of Barberton, just outside the World Cup host city of Nelspruit in northeast South Africa.
Capt. Hlathi said two female students died in the wreckage. A male student died later in hospital.
Four people were in intensive care or were in a "highly dependent" state, while another eight were staying in hospital overnight in Nelspruit, a British High Commission spokesman told the Press Association later Thursday.
"My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the three young people who have died in this tragic accident," the British High Commissioner to South Africa, Nicola Brewer, said in a statement.
The students and two lecturers who were injured were part of a tour group from Brooksby Melton College in Leicestershire, England. The group had reportedly arrived in South Africa on June 1 for a field trip and was due to leave Friday.
Police said a Zimbabwean driver and a South African tour guide were also on the bus when it overturned. The driver had reportedly been treated and released from hospital.
Capt. Hlathi said a tourist safety doctor and a bus safety inspector from the provincial traffic department attended the crash and some of the injured were treated at the scene.
Brenda Greaves, whose 20-year-old daughter Rachel was among the injured students, told British Broadcasting Corp. she had spoken to her daughter, who was treated for abdominal pain after the accident.
"She said that they were going round a very nasty bend and the driver just lost control and that the bus just toppled over."
Brooksby Melton College issued a statement confirming that 18 adult students and two teachers involved in its animal management and welfare course were in the accident.
"As you can imagine, we are all deeply shocked and our thoughts and concerns are for the students, their families and staff involved," college principal Chris Ball was quoted as saying. "We would like to assure all our students and their parents and families that we will support them at this very difficult time."
