Three tourists from Hong Kong were killed on the spot and 12 others injured when a bus fell off a mountain road in central China's Hubei Province Thursday afternoon, the local government confirmed on Friday.

The bus, carrying 20 Hong Kong tourists and a local guide, was en route from Badong to Xingshan county in Yichang when it veered off State Highway No. 209 at 4:40 p.m., said a spokesman with the city government of Yichang.

The bus belonged to Shennongjia Tourism Development Group and was taking the tourists to the Shennongjia Nature Reserve in Xingshan County, which is home to the legendary wild man known as "Bigfoot", a mystery drawing large crowds of tourists each year.

The injured tourists are being treated at the county's medical center and the cause of the accident is being investigated.

(Xinhua News Agency June 9, 2006)