At least four dead after bus carrying Chinese tourists crashes in Utah

At least four people were killed and up to 15 others were critically injured when a bus transporting Chinese tourists crashed near Bryce Canyon National Park in the US state of Utah, local authorities said.

The Utah Highway Patrol posted a picture of the mangled bus, with its roof partly caved in, lying on the side of the main highway leading to the park entrance.

Local news reports said the crash took place in the morning on Friday about seven miles from the park entrance, forcing the road to be shut as ambulances and rescue vehicles rushed to the site.

Thirty people, including the driver, were reportedly on board the bus when it crashed.

"The bus was travelling east bound when it ran off the road and rolled into the guardrail," the Garfield County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook message that described the crash as "horrible." "There is confirmed four deceased and the rest were transported with injuries to many area hospitals," it said.

Bryce Canyon is one of the most visited national parks in the US, attracting some 1.5 million tourists every year.