August 14, 2008	Thursday	Sha'aban 11, 1429

BEIJING, Aug 13: Three Chinese people were critically injured and three Croatian rowing team members suffered minor injuries when an Olympic bus travelling to the rowing venue collided with a private van on Wednesday.

“The IOC has been informed of a collision that took place around 1400 [0600 GMT] today between a bus transporting athletes to an Olympic rowing venue at Shunyi and a small van,” the International Olympic Committee said in a statement.

“Three Croatian team members — two athletes and a coach — have been treated for slight injuries. The athletes will compete this afternoon as planned.”

Australian team officials said the three of the four Chinese people in the van were badly hurt.

“It was a major collision,” said Australian rowing team doctor Greg Lovell, who was on the bus.

“Three of the four people were critically injured and, according to our team doctor, they were very, very seriously injured but I don’t know whether or not they died,” Australian team spokesman David Pembroke said.

Lovell suffered mild scratches to his knee. Another Australian on the bus had taken one of the passengers out of the back of the van, the Australian team said in a statement.—Reuters