A tourist bus slammed into a tree along the road in Kumamoto Prefecture, injuring 20 South Korean passengers on board, police said.

The injuries were not life-threatening and the passengers all remained conscious, they added.

The police said the bus had been driving on Route 212 in northern Kumamoto with 20 tourists from South Korea and a tour guide when it swerved to the side and hit the tree about 3 meters off the shoulder of the two-lane road at around 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

The crash left the windshield and front doors of the bus smashed. The 71-year-old driver said he turned away from a car on the opposing lane that had crossed the center line.

The tourists left Hakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, on Wednesday morning and had visited areas around Mount Aso in Kumamoto. They were on their way to Yufu in Oita Prefecture.