미국 로이터 통신에 의하면 2012년 12월 30일(미국 현지시간)한국인등 40여명을 태운 광관버스가 미국 네바다주 라스베가스(Las Vegas, Nevada)에서 관광을 마치고 출발지인 캐나다 벤쿠버로 향하던 중

미국 오리건(Oregon)주[州] 북동부 펜들턴(Pendleton)시[市] 인근 84번 고속도로에서 눈길에 미끄러져 도로변의 가드레일을 충돌한 후 300피트 낭떠러지로 굴러내려 9명이 현장에서 사망하고 25명이 부상을 입은 사고가 발생했다.

사고 지점은 오리건주 '블루마운틴[Blue Mountains] '의 서단 지역으로 '죽음의 통로(Deadman's Pass)'로 불리는 험지로 교통사고가 빈번히 발생한 지역으로 알려지고 있다.
사고 현장은 낭떠러지여서 로우프를 휴대한 구조대원이 사상자들을 고속도로 위로 끄집어 올렸다고 한다.

오리건주 경찰당국 대변인 그레그 하스팅(Lt. Gregg Hastings)씨는 관광버스에 탑승한 관광객 총 인원을 확인하려고 노력하고 있으며 부상자는 인근병원으로 옮겨졌으며 그중 일부환자는 부상정도가 심하기 때문에 2차 병원으로 공중 후송했다고 한다.

버스운전자는 생존하였지만 부상이 심해 아직 인터뷰를 하지 못한 상태다.
사고처리를 담당하는 당국은 사고를 낸 관광버스는 캐나다 밴쿠버(Vancouver). 브리티시 컬럼비아(British Columbia)에 소재하는 한국인이 경영하는 미주 투어 여행사(Mi Joo Tour & Travel)로 밝혀졌는데 관광객 대부분이 한국인일 가능성이 높다.

미주투어 여행사 대표는 현지시간 일요일 저녁까지 논평을 하지 않는 상태이다.
경찰당국은 사상자들이 국외 여러 나라에서 온 관광객들로 구성되어 신원을 완전히 파악하고 발표하는데는 수 일이 소요될 것이라고 한다.

Nine killed, more than 25 hurt in Oregon bus crash: state police
By Teresa Carson

PORTLAND, Oregon | Sun Dec 30, 2012 10:54pm EST


(Reuters) - Nine people were killed and at least 26 others injured on Sunday when a charter bus headed to Canada from Las Vegas skidded off an icy mountain highway and crashed down an embankment in northeastern Oregon.

The Oregon State Police said a preliminary investigation showed the charter bus, carrying about 40 people through the Blue Mountains en route to Vancouver, British Columbia, "lost control on the snow/ice covered westbound lanes of Interstate 84" near Pendleton.

The bus crashed through a guardrail alongside the road and went down an embankment of around 200 feet. Crews trained in rope rescue were needed to bring victims back up to the highway, police said.

State Police spokesman Lt. Gregg Hastings said nine people had been confirmed killed in the crash.

"We are continuing to try and confirm the total number of passengers and number of injured persons transported to area hospital or secondary locations due to severity of injuries." the state police said in a written statement.

The bus driver survived the crash but investigators said he had not yet been interviewed because of the severity of his injuries.

St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton initially received 26 of the injured, spokesman Larry Blanc said. Five of those patients were stabilized and transported to a secondary hospital by air for further treatment.

"About 10:30 this morning we got the call and declared a Code D, which means we bring in extra staff and supplies," he said, adding that D stands for "disaster."

"There are various types of injuries. Some of the injured were able to walk in on their own," Blanc said. "We are taking a lot of CT scans and assessing the injuries

Blanc said that of the 21 patients who remained at St. Anthony, some had been treated and released and were being provided food and shelter by the Red Cross. Some of them were children, he said.

Brycie Jones, spokeswoman for Oregon Health and Science University said that hospital had received four patients from the bus crash.

Jones said she could not disclose their identities or condition and it was not immediately clear if the patients had come from another hospital.

Authorities identified the charter company as Mi Joo Tour & Travel, based in Vancouver, British Columbia and said the bus was headed there as part of a round-trip from Las Vegas, Nevada.

Representatives for Mi Joo could not be reached for comment on Sunday evening.

Police said the names of the dead and wounded would not be released until next of kin were notified, which could take several days because many were believed to be from out of the country.

Pendleton is in northeast Oregon near the border with Washington state, about 200 miles east of Portland.

(Reporting by Teresa Carson; Writing by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Todd Eas