13 Chinese tourists are dead after a bus taking them to the resort town Luang Prabang in Laos had a brake failure. In addition, 31 visitors are receiving medical treatment. Chinese state media showed photos of rescuers wading through ankle-deep floodwaters.

Traffic accidents in Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar are common, with safety regulations often flouted and law enforcement low.
The monsoon season from June to October also drenches rural roads with heavy rains creating slippery conditions.

Chinese tourists are important to Laos and arrivals increased 13 percent in the first half of this year.

Luang Prabang is a World Heritage town. The city is located in northern Laos at the heart of a mountainous region. The town is built on a peninsula formed by the Mekong and the Nam Khan River. Mountain ranges (in particular the PhouThao and PhouNang mountains) encircle the city in lush greenery.