UPDATE 1-At least four dead, 12 critically injured, in Utah tour bus crash

A bus carrying Chinese-speaking tourists crashed on Friday near Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, killing at least four people and critically injuring 12 to 15 others, the state Highway Patrol reported.

Circumstances of the crash, which occurred at about 11:30 a.m. local time on State Route 12, were not immediately known, state Highway Patrol spokesman Corporal Chris Bishop said. It was possible the death toll would rise, he said.

The stretch of highway where the crash occurred was shut down in both directions as authorities began investigating the cause of the accident, and it likely will remain closed "for some time," Bishop said. All or most of the passengers aboard the bus were Chinese-speaking tourists, but their nationalities had not immediately been determined, according to Bishop.

It was also unclear whether the tour bus at the time was headed to or from Bryce Canyon, located in southern Utah about 270 miles (435 km) south of Salt Lake City.

Also Read: No quota in IRCTC's Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express; 5 seats each to be reserved for foreign tourists in Executive Class and AC Chair car: IRCTC