INVESTIGATIONS are continuing today into the deaths of nine tourists who were on a holiday organised by a Kent firm.

Pilgrim Travel, based in Deal, had taken the British tourists out to the Holy Land when the coach in which they were travelling suffered a burst tyre and crashed into a lorry .

It has not yet been revealed if any of the victims were from Kent. The Foreign Office said concerned relatives can ring 0207 008 0000 for information.

Prayers have been said for the victims in York, where most of the 18 tourists involved are thought to be from.

Five survivors of the crash on a pilgrimage tour in Jordan are due to be airlifted to another hospital today.

The party was driving away from the ancient city of Petra when the crash happened.

The Prince of Wales, who visited some of the injured in hospital, will continue his tour of Jordan today.

Prince Charles was visiting a nature reserve in north-west Jordan with Queen Rania at the time of the accident.

He descibed the crash as "ghastly", and said his heart went out to those who had lost family members.

He said: "My thoughts and prayers are with their families and those who are being treated by the excellent staff."

* David Symes, from the Jordan Tourist Board, told KM-fm the people from Britain were on a spiritual tour of the country...